Taco Bell tries to lure fans back with $1 Enchiritos

Taco Bell is offering $1 Enchiritos in a bid to win back customers, as well as thank them for their loyalty, amid an ongoing cyclospora outbreak that has now surpassed 11,500 cases in 41 states.

When news of the outbreak hit about two weeks ago, Taco Bell bore the brunt of the headlines, which has impacted business.

Foot traffic at the chain dropped sharply following a multistate outbreak initially linked to shredded lettuce supplied to its restaurants from Taylor Farms, with data from Placer.ai showing visits down 18.1% on July 15 and 30.9% by July 17, compared to the day of week average from January 1- July 6, 2026. Parent company Yum Brands’ share price has also taken a hit and is down about 10% over the past week.

But initial reports regarding the exact source have since become a bit murky, with the FDA claiming a false positive, then noting that designation “DOES NOT change the basis” for its ongoing investigation or “overwhelming data supporting” a voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.

A look at social media sites, from TikTok to Reddit, indicates a massive shift in blame away from Taco Bell and toward Taylor Farms and/or the federal organizations charged with swiftly identifying a source in the interest of public health.

CEO Sean Tresvant leveraged this shift earlier this week with a message on LinkedIn thanking the company’s fans for their loyalty through the crisis.

“We felt the love. Through the posts. The comments. The stories. We saw them all. The community that said, ‘we've got you.’ The fans who said they ‘can't quit us.’ We appreciate every bit of that energy. Thank you.

“Our fans reminded the world that Taco Bell is a part of your stories, your routines, your celebrations, and the everyday moments in between. We aren’t entitled to your loyalty. We earn it one meal at a time.”

Now, the company is going a step further to thank its fans by offering its signature Enchirito for $1. Taco Bell posted some of its fans’ supporting comments on its TikTok account, adding “for the ones who’ve been riding with us, $1 enchiritos just dropped … more to come.”

The Enchirito is billed as “a fusion of an enchilada and burrito.” It was originally launched in 1970 and has been brought back as a limited-time offer since, including most recently in June. It is typically sold for about $4.29.

Despite the significant short-term impact, some analysts believe the damage to Taco Bell is unlikely to last long, noting that the company has made the right moves with swift action to remove affected lettuce and public communication. Yum Brands reports its second-quarter results July 30, which may provide more color on the impact the outbreak has had on Taco Bell.