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Taco Bell has announced the nationwide rollout of the Salt & Straw Churro Ice Cream Taco across participating US locations.
The nationwide product drop builds upon the success of the brands' previous regional "Tacolate" collaboration, marking the first time a co-created ice cream taco from Portland-based artisan ice cream maker Salt & Straw will be available across Taco Bell's national store footprint.
Concurrently, the brand is introducing the Salt & Straw Choco-Waffle Chiller exclusively across select Live Más Café locations, expanding the partnership across both frozen dessert and speciality beverage categories.
Co-Branded Dessert Lineup
The collaboration combines Salt & Straw's small-batch culinary development with Taco Bell's handheld menu architecture.
The limited-time product lineup entering commercial distribution features:
🌮 Salt & Straw Churro Ice Cream Taco: A crispy waffle cone taco shell filled with small-batch Churro Ice Cream, topped with puffed rice and coated in a dark chocolate-flavoured shell, offered at a suggested retail price (SRP) of US$3.99.
🥤 Salt & Straw Choco-Waffle Chiller: A blended beverage encased in a crackable chocolate-flavoured shell, combining vanilla ice cream with churro crumbles and waffle cone pieces, finished with whipped cream and crushed waffle cone toppings, priced starting at US$4.69.
Liz Matthews, Global Chief Food Innovation Officer at Taco Bell, stated that the collaboration reflects consumer demand for elevated, nostalgic dessert formats, noting that the churro flavour profile integrates naturally into the brand's core menu identity.
Tyler Malek, Co-Founder and Head Ice Cream Maker at Salt & Straw, added that following the sellout performance of the initial Tacolate release in scoop shops, expanding the partnership allows the artisan ice cream maker to scale custom flavour development across a national quick-service footprint.
Live Más Café Integration
The launch also marks the first brand collaboration for Live Más Café, Taco Bell's beverage-forward concept format.
The Salt & Straw Choco-Waffle Chiller will be available exclusively across Live Más Café sites in California, Las Vegas, Houston, and Dallas. To drive collectability and on-site engagement, each Chiller or ice cream taco purchased at a Live Más Café will include a complimentary branded sticker sheet while promotional inventories last.
Additionally, Salt & Straw will continue offering the original Cinnamon Ancho Tacolate year-round across its regional scoop shop network and via direct-to-consumer nationwide shipping on its web platform.
QSR Scaling and Viral Food Equity
The nationwide rollout illustrates broader quick-service restaurant (QSR) operational strategies, where multinational operators partner with agile, high-equity craft food brands to transition viral digital engagement into physical restaurant footfall.
By adapting artisan ice cream formulations to standard restaurant assembly lines, Taco Bell expands its afternoon and late-night sweet snacking options without adding long-term operational complexity to kitchen operations.
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