The Wait Is Over as Fans Celebrate the Return of Taco Bell's Cult-Favorite Menu Item: 'Nature Is Healing' The beloved menu item was abruptly removed two years ago amid pandemic-related issues.

By Emily Rella Edited by Amanda Breen

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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The two-year long wait is over in what some fast-food fans are calling a "National Holiday", as Taco Bell has brought back its fan-favorite Mexican Pizza to menus nationwide.

The beloved item, which consists of two tostadas layered with pizza sauce and beans or ground beef and then topped with cheese, tomatoes and more sauce, was quietly removed from menus in 2020 as the company attempted to cut down on pandemic-related supply chain issues and rising costs.

But hell hath no fury like a Taco Bell customer who can no longer "Live Más" after one of their cult-favorite menu items is removed (lest we forget the great Quesalupa removal exactly one year ago), and, naturally, fans made an uproar on the internet to bring it back.

First there was a Change.org petition that garnered over 200,000 signatures, started by Taco Bell Stan Krish Jagirdar who explained that the pizza was a way for the South Asian community to still enjoy fast-food while abiding by cultural dietary restrictions.

Related: Internet Has Meltdown After Taco Bell Removes Fan-Favorite Menu Item: 'My Life is Over'

"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," Jagirdar explained in a statement via Taco Bell. "Listening to their fans is clearly embedded in [Taco Bell's] DNA. It's one of the many reasons Taco Bell is more than just another fast-food restaurant."

Then came Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat, who used her mass following on TikTok to write a song to Taco Bell about bringing back the pizza, which garnered over 8.4 million likes and over 37.3 million views, re-sparking a national interest in the menu item among her fanbase and beyond.

@dojacat

♬ original sound - Doja Cat

Fans everywhere rejoiced on Thursday when the Mexican Pizza finally dropped, declaring their excitement and adoration across social media.

"Our menu is full of fan-favorites, but the Mexican Pizza is at the top of that list," Taco Bell CEO Mark King admitted in a statement. "From its flashy introduction to menus in 1985 as 'Pizzazz Pizza' to its inspiration behind the creation of infamous jingles, Mexican Pizza has a long history with the brand and I'm glad we could give fans what they crave and bring our classic Mexican Pizza back home where it belongs."

Related: Taco Bell to Launch First-Ever Business School for Employees

Hungry customers in the U.S. and participating restaurants in Aruba, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic will be able to get their hands on the saucy snack starting Thursday.

Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, was down around 7% year over year as of Thursday afternoon.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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