The Taco Bell of the future won’t just have multiple drive-thru lanes. It will also pay workers higher wages and benefits, have a greater focus on diversity, make plant-based menu items more accessible and cut back on packaging waste.
That, at least, is according to a broad set of commitments the Irvine, Calif.-based fast-food Mexican chain made public on Tuesday.
At the forefront of those commitments is a vow to pay $15 an hour at company locations by mid-2024. That impacts only a small percentage of the chain’s 6,800 U.S. locations—Taco Bell itself operates 475 of those, or about 7%.
But there are other promises, many of them involving the chain’s menu.
The company said that it plans to develop a new plant-based protein with Beyond Meat and said it will continue to release “Unique plant-based innovations that appeal to all lifestyles.” The test comes on top of the company’s existing efforts on plant-based menu items, including a “Veggie Cravings” menu and a “Veggie Mode” on its in-store kiosks.
It has also promised to ensure that more than half of 20-ounce fountain beverages have 100 calories or less and 20 grams of sugar or less. It also said it is working on reducing the use of antibiotics in its U.S. and Canadian beef supply chain by 25% by 2025.
Taco Bell said it is testing a suite of recyclable and compostable packaging in San Francisco, such as a narrower quesadilla bag without a plastic window. That test should expand to other markets next year.
The chain said it has already taken several steps on diversity and on improving access to education and training for its employees.
The company said that it has increased by 25% its use of a more diverse group of talent for its marketing and said that it plans to build on that this year. Taco Bell has also hired Katrina Thornton as its chief equity, inclusion and belonging officer. The chain is planning new programs to promote equity inside the company as part of parent company Yum Brands’ $100 million Unlocking Opportunity Initiative.
In addition, the company said that its newly appointed “Chief Impact Officer,” Lil Nas X, “is giving us a fresh look at ways to support our people and communities.”
As for the labor investments, Taco Bell’s investments represent only a fraction of the chain’s locations because franchisees own the vast majority and thus control how much they pay workers. Yet wage rates in the restaurant industry have soared this year amid a historic shortage of labor. Some chains, including Starbucks and Chipotle, have said they either will get to $15 next year or are already there.
Taco Bell has taken some other steps to attract workers—including a leadership development program for general managers that can boost their pay by 25%. Corporate workers at restaurants and at headquarters can also access an on-call therapist for complementary therapy sessions.
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