The Possible Reason Taco Bell's Nacho Fries Keep Going On And Off The Menu

Man, oh man, did you hear the news? Taco Bell's Nacho Fries are back again! Come on, before they take them off the men–oh, what's that? Aw, jeez, they're gone already? Well, at least they'll be back in a couple months. We'll just have to be quicker on the draw the next time Nacho Fries swing around.

In case you haven't heard about Nacho Fries, they're basically your standard fast food-styled fries tossed around in a blend of spices and served alongside a cup of the chain's golden nacho cheese sauce. A product of rigorous testing to create the perfect French fry item for the Mexican food-focused chain (via Nation's Restaurant News), Nacho Fries launched in the United States back in 2018 to great fanfare. So popular are these Mexican spice-infused fries that they were dubbed one of the most wildly successful products in the chain's history (via CNBC) — and for good reason. Over 53 million orders of Nacho Fries were made in the first few months of 2018. 

But for as beloved as these dusted and cheesy fries are, they're also well-known for being pretty sporadic. Like a glorious fever dream of spices and starches, Nacho Fries are here for a fleeting moment and gone the next. If Taco Bell knows their fries are a money-maker, why do they keep putting them on and off the menu? The answer is a bit of a psychological one.

Let's say that you're a fan of Taco Bell's Nacho Fries — a really, really big fan. Whenever they go off the menu, you find yourself dreaming about dipping those crispy, spicy fries into that delicious golden nacho cheese nectar. When you hear the news floating around Twitter that they're coming back, you practically sprint over to the nearest Taco Bell, ready to pay any amount of money to get those Nacho Fries again. This is exactly what Taco Bell wants, according to Mental Floss.

Take, for example, another classic fast food item known for being an uncommon sight on menus: the McDonald's McRib. Seasonal items and limited-time offers are a key part of marketing, enticing people to come into the store and try that certain product, such as the McRib or Nacho Fries (via CNN Business). No matter how popular those products are, they have to go off the menu every now and then to keep up the demand. After all, if those products became regular menu staples, they'd lose their attractiveness and their "exclusivity." You certainly wouldn't want to pay a bit more for Nacho Fries if they were available all the time, right?

Another part of their limited-time availability is the hype they can generate around it. From faux animated movie trailers like Fry Force (via Hype Beast) to explosive social media teasers, Taco Bell is able to get people excited — if they weren't already — for another brief but glorious window of Nacho Fries.