Taco Bell is bringing back Mexican Pizza permanently

(CNN) — Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza is finally returning to menus following a three-month absence.

The chain announced the meal is returning permanently on Sept. 15, which is earlier-than-expected because Taco Bell said it “worked quickly to restock the beloved menu item.”

Mexican Pizza came back to menus after a two-year hiatus in May, but demand was higher than expected and caused the chain to run out roughly two weeks after the relaunch. The menu item, which costs about $4.49, was initially removed in November 2020 as part of a broader culling of the chain’s menu during the height of the pandemic.

“Taco Bell worked diligently to resolve depleted ingredients and supply chain challenges that originally caused longer gaps in the product’s availability,” the company said, adding that the menu item will be made with the same ingredients as before.

The chain’s Mexican Pizza consists of a flat, crispy tortilla covered with pizza sauce and either beans or ground beef. It’s topped with another tortilla that’s smothered with more sauce, a blend of cheeses and chopped tomatoes. Taco Bell introduced the item in 1985 and originally called it the “Pizzazz Pizza.”

Fast-food chains must constantly compete for customers’ dollars and attention, and specialty offerings are a way to try to cut through the noise. Taco Bell, in particular, regularly experiments with its menu by adding limited-time offers to stimulate customer interest.

However, Taco Bell clarified that the pizza’s disappearance wasn’t a stunt.

While limited-time offerings “are core to Taco Bell’s ability to churn out menu innovation, that wasn’t the plan for the Mexican Pizza,” the company said. “Upon its menu return, demand for the Mexican Pizza was seven times higher than when previously available.”