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Taco Bell awards teens for developing the Taquito Rico

October 23, 2013

Teens from the city of Wilmington, Calif., won a competition held by a local Taco Bell store, earning them $9,500 in scholarships from the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. The team of five teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wilmington were recognized for developing the "Taquito Rico," and competed against teams from Santa Ana and Coachella, Calif., in product creation as part of the Camp Taco Bell business leadership program.

One hundred local teens from across Southern California spent two days at Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine last August, learning business principles and developing and marketing menu items alongside the brand's innovation team.

The winners were named after the top three finalist teams faced off in a competition to sell their items in local Taco Bell restaurants last weekend. Customers had the opportunity to try Wilmington Club's "Taquito Rico," a tortilla stuffed with chicken, fried and topped with shredded cheese, and the option to make it Supreme; Santa Ana's "Chalupa Picante," a "crunchy, spicy addiction" that binds a soft chalupa and the new Fiery DLT shell together with a layer of nacho cheese; and the Coachella Valley Club's "The Club Burrito," with layers of black beans, cilantro rice, shredded chicken, nacho cheese and pico de gallo.

Wilmington's product won based on total profits and menu mix, achieving $829.05 in sales in one day. The team members will share a total prize of $9,500 in scholarships and grants. Teen finalists from Santa Ana and Coachella Valley also received scholarships and grants totaling $7,500.

"At Taco Bell, we believe in 'más,' which means doing more, expecting more and giving more. We do this not just by inventing new menu items that impact people's lives, but also by inspiring and enabling teens to reach their full potential," said Liz Matthews, chief food and beverage innovation officer at Taco Bell. "The true mission of Camp Taco Bell is to inspire teens to think bigger, strive for more and believe that everything is possible with education and a drive to achieve."

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