Why Taco Bell took Mexican pizza off the menu for 2 years

• Taco Bell took the Mexican pizza off menus in 2020 as it simplified its offerings.
• Some fans have been asking the chain to bring back the dish ever since. 
• Taco Bell announced on Monday that Mexican pizza will return permanently to menus in May.

Taco Bell fans have been pining for the return of Mexican pizza since 2020, and it’s finally coming back.

The much-loved item will return permanently to Taco Bell locations nationwide on May 19, the chain announced Monday.

Mexican pizza was one of more than a dozen items cut from Taco Bell’s menu in 2020, alongside other beloved items like the seven-layer burrito and cheesy fiesta potatoes. Mexican pizza consists of a flour tortilla shell filled with refried beans, seasoned ground beef, and Mexican sauce, topped with another tortilla, Mexican sauce, cheese, and chopped tomatoes.

“While we know fans may be understandably sad to see some of their favorites go, this evolution of our menu truly paves the way for fresh new ideas,” Taco Bell President and Global Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said at the time of the menu changes.

Fans shared recipes to recreate the dish at home, and a popup in Austin recreated the Mexican pizza and other dishes fans missed the most.

Mexican pizza lovers started to hope again. Taco Bell has a history of bringing back other fan favorites as limited-time offers, like Nacho Fries or the Grilled Cheese Burrito, so there was no reason that the Mexican pizza couldn’t join that list. When potatoes returned to menus in March 2021, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer Liz Matthews told Insider that there’s potential.

“I think there’s always a chance. We’re constantly listening to our customers. So, I wouldn’t pull that off the table,” Matthews told Insider. 

More recently, singer Doja Cat made a song on TikTok imploring Taco Bell to bring back the Mexican pizza. “I made a song about Mexican pizza because I love it so much,” she said before beginning her song. In her previous video, Doja Cat posted another TikTok calling her Mexican pizza song “contractual,” and the official Taco Bell TikTok account commented, “Pretty sure the jingle was your idea.”

Doja Cat frequently tweets about her love for Mexican pizza, and Taco Bell sometimes responds to her tweets, seemingly hinting at the dish’s return. The singer also starred in Taco Bell’s Super Bowl commercial, so she has an existing relationship with the brand. 

Now the Mexican Pizza is coming back, and Taco Bell will even send some customers who tweet “#IBroughtBackTheMexicanPizza” will receive specialized merch to commemorate the return.

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.