IRVINE, Calif. — Taco Bell is crediting an online petition and rapper Doja Cat, in part, for its decision to bring back the Mexican Pizza to its menu.
In a news release, Taco Bell announced Mexican Pizza would be returning to restaurants on May 19.
Mexican Pizza was discontinued in November 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the chain moved to simplify its menu, CNN reported.
More than 170,000 people signed an online petition asking the chain to bring the item back, saying it was “an item loved by many, especially the South Asian community.”
“Like many Indian-Americans who grew up vegetarian, we had limited access to the ‘fun’ fast food, so Taco Bell became a bridge to belonging in American culture for many kids like me who grew up in immigrant households,” Krish Jagirdar, who created the online petition, said in a statement.
The Mexican Pizza features a tortilla shell filled with a choice of beans or ground beef, with pizza sauce and another tortilla shell smothered with sauce, cheese, and chopped tomatoes, CNN reported. The menu item was first introduced in 1985 under the name “Pizzazz Pizza.”
In a video posted to TikTok on March 9, rapper Doja Cat said she made a song about Mexican Pizza because she loves it so much, saying she wished the restaurant would bring it back.
Mexican Pizza will be available in the United States, Aruba, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic on May 19.
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