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The waffle taco: hola breakfast, adios waistline

All 460 calories of the waffle taco.
All 460 calories of the waffle taco.Supplied

Scratch the healthy muesli and freshly squeezed orange juice: why not chow down on a calorie-laden taco to start the day?

Taco Bell will soon be offering its ‘waffle taco’ - which has 460 calories and 30 grams of fat - at about 100 of its restaurants across the US, after it became the chain’s biggest breakfast seller during a small trial at five venues.

The taco, which comes with scrambled eggs, sausage and a side of syrup, is part of a push to maximise profits in the early hours.

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Taco Bell isn't alone in trying to serve food in different parts of the day. Since restaurant chains are already paying for fixed costs of such as rent and electricity, the thinking is that they want to ring up as many sales as possible throughout the day, not just during the busy lunch and dinner hours.

In industry jargon, executives often refer to this concept as "expanding dayparts."

McDonald's, for example, has been testing an ‘After Midnight’ menu in the US that mixes breakfast and lunch items. Taco Bell has also been promoting a ‘Happier Hour,’ which features snacks and drinks intended to attract customers in the late afternoon, when business tends to be slower.

Taco Bell president Brian Niccol says the rollout of the tacos is partly to get a better sense of how well restaurants will be able to handle the added operational pressure.

"You only get one shot when you go with big items," he said.

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Taco Bell already offers breakfast at about 850 locations in 10 Western states in the US and has been tinkering with new items such as the waffle taco before rolling it out to its 6000 US locations.

Also being tested in the additional locations are a yoghurt parfait and oatmeal.

Yum Brands Inc, the parent company of Taco Bell, clearly sees breakfast as its next big opportunity. In a conference call with analysts last month, Yum President Richard Carucci said that breakfast had accounted for about 4 per cent of sales in restaurants where it's been available.

"But this is before we've now dialed it up," he noted.

Since they were introduced in March, the waffle tacos have undergone some tweaks, including the frying time and temperature, Niccol said. The shape of the taco was changed to make it easier to hold the stuffing.

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If it does as well in the expanded test as it did at the five locations, Niccol said he doesn't see why it wouldn't be on the national menu.

- AP with goodfood.com.au

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