Marketing

Taco Bell partners with fan girl Paris Hilton to plug return of Volcano Menu

The fiery items debuted in the early 2000s, when the star was at her hottest. Now she’s partnering up to offer hot tips on Taco Bell’s first-ever advice hotline.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton offers hot tips on Taco Bell's Hot Line to celebrate launch of the Volcano Menu. | Photo courtesy of Taco Bell

The Volcano Menu returns to Taco Bell Thursday, and Paris Hilton, the “it” girl from the early 2000s, is partnering with the chain to promote the fiery favorites from the same era.

The nostalgic menu includes the Volcano Taco with seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, a three-cheese blend and extra-hot Lava sauce in a spicy red taco shell, and the Double Beef Volcano Burrito, filled with seasoned rice, beef, three-cheese blend, reduced-fat sour cream, crunchy tortilla strips and Lava sauce—a combo of red jalapenos and cheese. Heat-seeking fans can add Lava sauce to any other menu item for $1 extra.

Volcano Menu

The Volcano Taco and Double Beef Volcano Burrito both features fiery Lava sauce. |Photo courtesy of Taco Bell

Hilton, who is a long-time Taco Bell fan and hot trendsetter, has been called upon to offer advice on the brand’s first-ever hot line. In seven pre-recorded messages, the celeb offers hot tips on “sliving,” a term Hilton is said to have invented that blends "slaying" with "living" (one's best life).

Her "sliving" tips touch on topics like hair styles and life coaching, for example. Fans can also get a first crack at her unreleased single, “Hot One,” out Friday. Or they can just listen to Hilton reading the description of the Volcano Menu items; it all hinges on what prompt they choose when dialing up 1-844-THTS-HOT.

“Taco Bell’s Volcano Menu isn’t just iconic, it’s the epitome of hot,” said Hilton in a statement. “I am loving being a part of this Y2K revival with my very own Hot Line and hope fans will take my advice to sliv más.”

Like Nacho Fries, Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos and the Crunchwrap Supreme, Taco Bell creates excitement and sales for cult favorites by bringing them back to the menu for a limited time. Demand for the return of the Volcano Menu has been building for a long time, through online petitions, social media pleas and home cooks’ copycat recipes for Lava Sauce.

“We’re always listening to our fans, and the extensive passion and needs of the Volcano fanbase could no longer go unmet,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s US Chief Marketing Officer, in a statement. “Always in-the-know of what’s hot, Paris will help bring back these beloved items of the 2000s that never go out of style.”

Taco Bell Rewards members can get early access to the Volcano Menu on Tuesday.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Trending

More from our partners