GoKawiilTaco Bell visits still down 12% after lettuce-linked cyclospora outbreak
Taco Bell's per-location traffic finished down 12.2% year over year from July 6 through Sept. 11, the period spanning the cyclospora outbreak tied to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce, according to Placer.ai data. The chain had pulled lettuce, cilantro-onion mix and pico de gallo and rolled out $1 promotions on Enchiritos and Mexican Pizzas, but traffic had swung from -18.1% to -30.9% versus its own earlier averages before recovering somewhat.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The sustained traffic drop suggests consumer trust in a chain can take longer to rebuild than the underlying food-safety issue itself, even after health authorities declare an outbreak over. Placer.ai's R.J. Hottovy notes that fast-casual rivals like Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava outperformed the category over the same stretch, which could indicate the outbreak pushed some customers toward competitors rather than just pausing visits. Yum! Brands executives frame the situation as a steady recovery, but their own comments acknowledge there is no clear resolution yet.
- Taco Bell traffic finished down 12.2% year over year for the outbreak period despite discount promotions.
- The cyclospora outbreak, linked to Taylor Farms lettuce, sickened nearly 20,000 people nationwide starting in July.
- Fast-casual competitors including Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava outperformed the category during the same stretch, per Placer.ai.
Source: entrepreneur.com — Jon Small, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “Months After the Lettuce Parasite Outbreak, Taco Bell Is Still Struggling With Lower Traffic”
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