Food

Quick-service chains go big with their menus

Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s have all introduced large takes on existing items.
triplelupa
Photograph courtesy of Taco Bell

Big fast-food chains are going big, at least with their menus.

This week, McDonald’s introduced its new four-patty Big Mac, now known as the Double Big Mac.

Not to be outdone, Yum Brands concepts Taco Bell and Pizza Hut also released large menu items.

Taco Bell introduced “the longest shell in Taco Bell history,” called the Triplelupa, a combination of three mini Chalupas that is designed to be torn apart and shared.

The Triplelupa starts at $3.49 and features different flavors in each portion: nacho cheese on one end and chipotle on the other, with a combination of the two, cheesy chipotle, in the middle.

The Triplelupa will be available starting Thursday.

Taco Bell Triplelupa

Photograph courtesy of Taco Bell

Meanwhile, sister company Pizza Hut is releasing its own big menu item, bringing back its Big Dipper Pizza that features up to 24 pieces plus four dipping sauces, including marinara, ranch and honey barbecue. The pizza is priced at $12.99 and is available in cheese, pepperoni or half and half.

For Pizza Hut, the Big Dipper represents the return of a popular product just in time for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament—of which the Plano, Texas-based chain is a sponsor.

The company also provided some basketball references to provide an idea of how long the pizza is: Just 3.5 of the pizzas standing on end are the height of the average men’s college basketball player, for instance.

Big Dipper Pizza

Photograph courtesy of Pizza Hut

As for McDonald’s, its four-patty Double Big Mac is an evolution of a product that was first introduced in 2017 called the Grand Mac. The previous iteration featured two sixth-pound patties on a larger double-decker bun for which the Big Mac is most known.

By keeping the regular Big Mac bun but giving it four tenth-pound patties, the company can keep the larger Big Mac that was popular when it was introduced but was complicated for the chain’s franchisees.

Big Big Mac

Photograph courtesy of McDonald's

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