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The \u201cexplosive diarrhea\u201d outbreak that scared people away from lettuce over the summer is finally over. But for Taco Bell, the traffic problem persists.<\/p>\n
The outbreak, tied to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, sickened nearly 20,000 people nationwide beginning in July. Taco Bell pulled lettuce, cilantro-onion mix and pico de gallo early on, but the damage was already done. Traffic fell 18.1% by July 15, then plunged to -30.9% just two days later compared to the chain\u2019s own average from earlier in the year, according to data cited by Restaurant Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n Taco Bell fought back with deep discounts, $1 Enchiritos normally priced around $4.29, and $1 Mexican Pizzas normally around $5.69. From July 6, when the outbreak first made headlines, through Sept. 11, when the CDC declared it over, Taco Bell\u2019s visits per location still finished down 12.2% year over year, according to data from Placer.ai.<\/p>\n \u201cChains tied to the cyclospora outbreak, including Taco Bell, saw visits per location fall over the same period,\u201d said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai. Fast-casual rivals like Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava generally outperformed the category during that stretch.<\/p>\n Yum! Brands executives remain optimistic. CFO Ranjith Roy said in July that day-over-day sales trends had improved steadily and the chain was \u201chalfway back\u201d to prior-year levels. Speaking again this month, he said the recovery remains on track. \u201cThere\u2019s not a victory lap yet,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I think we have confidence that the long-term potential for Taco Bell remains unchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n