Taco Bell to make more cuts to menu

(CNN) — Taco Bell is eliminating five more menu items, marking the second time in less than three months that it overhauled its selection.

Beginning Nov. 5, Taco Bell will be dropping Mexican Pizza, pico de gallo and shredded chicken from the menu. Taco Bell assured fans on Thursday that this is the final time this year that it will change its menu, and the removals will “make room for new innovations.”

Last month, Taco Bell got rid of about dozen items including the 7-Layer Burrito, Nachos Supreme and the Beefy Fritos Burrito. The company explained in July that this was necessary to “create a more efficient Taco Bell experience” during the pandemic.

Several restaurants, including McDonald’s, have eliminated a number of items as a way to shed complexities and costs, and push simpler or more popular items at a time when conserving cash is crucial for restaurant operators.

As for the latest round of changes, Taco Bell claimed there were several other reasons why it’s saying adios to the five items. Getting rid of the Mexican Pizza, for example, is part of the company’s eco-friendly commitment: Packaging for the item amounts to more than 7 million pounds of paperboard per year.

It’s replacing pico de gallo with diced tomatoes. The removal of shredded chicken means three chicken items — shredded chicken soft taco, shredded chicken burrito, and shredded chicken quesadilla melt — will disappear in the fall. In their place, Taco Bell will add a tropical iced drink, Dragonfruit Freeze, and a chicken chipotle melt.

Taco Bell, owned by Yum! Brands, last month said many of its restaurants will be completely overhauled. It’s newest design emphasizes the drive-thru and limits human interaction, making it more suitable for the coronavirus era.