Taco Bell is rolling out a limited-time “Decades” menu, bringing back items from the 1960s to the early 2000s in a nostalgic appeal to older consumers and Gen Zers who may not have tried the fast feeder but have a taste for “fauxstalgia.”

“The insight behind the menu was that every person has a Taco Bell love story, like a first kiss,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s North America chief marketing officer. “That memory is usually linked to a time in life around being 18 years old and linked to a special product.”

The menu includes a tostada representing the ’60s, a burrito with green sauce for the ’70s, a Meximelt for the ’80s, beef gordita supreme for the ’90s and a caramel apple empanada for the early 2000s. The new menu launches on Oct. 31 for a limited time, though the empanada will only be available from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18. The items were chosen based on a mix of consumer feedback and what Taco Bell views as strong menu items, according to Montgomery. The idea for the Decades menu came from Taco Bell and Deutsch.

The retro-inspired menu is the latest nostalgic marketing play in the competitive fast food market. McDonald’s had a birthday meal for Grimace in 2023, recalling birthday parties in McDonald’s indoor PlayPlaces, and recently did a Collectors Cup meal. California Pizza Kitchen updated its agency roster with the goal of tapping into Gen Z and millennial nostalgia for eating at the chain when they were kids. For Taco Bell, the goal is to attract new, younger consumers who have never tried Taco Bell by tapping into what Montgomery dubbed “fauxstalgia.” 

“Nostalgia is so powerful for Gen Z, despite them not living in those times,” he said.

Taco Bell is also looking to remain competitive on value—each of the Decades items is $3. Value meals have become increasingly popular as consumers still feel the pinch of high food prices.

“Our position on value has not changed,” said Montgomery. “It's a foundational brand belief that fans can get food they can afford.” He pointed to the chain’s value Cravings Menu—10 menu items under $3—and its $7 Lux Box—a Chalupa Supreme, Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Double Stacked Taco, chips and nacho cheese sauce, and a medium drink.

The Decades push will also include an internally designed merch line with hoodies and stainless-steel cups for each decade.

Ad Age recently caught up with Montgomery to learn why nostalgia is still working, the challenges the brand is facing and trends he is seeing in the food category.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Why is nostalgia still resonating with Taco Bell fans?

I think that culturally when there is a lot of uncertainty, we go back to times that give us more of a sense of security and familiarity. I think this has been happening since COVID—we want to be reminded of more stable times. The other part, and I think when you cut through it all, consumers ultimately want an escape and experience from brands that are fun.

What is Taco Bell’s marketing mix and where are you seeing good ROI?

We are seeing good returns in two pockets. One is sports. Last year, we were number one in ad spend in our category for the NFL and college football and number two in the NBA. We are a mass brand and want to be on popular viewing occasions. And the second, the majority of our budget is in digital and social media, so connected channels, paid social. We love TikTok the most. And these work together to be big at the top of the funnel, but drive deeper connections on digital. And that’s impacting our CRM. Our app and our loyalty program continue to grow.

What is the biggest challenge Taco Bell is facing?

I think what the brand looks and feels like and what the next generation expects are different. They want more chicken, more menu evolutions, so we are elevating into bowls and shredded beef. The challenge, but I think the opportunity, is how do we stay true and evolve the brand for the next generation?

I think we are already doing that with our Cantina chicken menu. The insight behind Cantina and what surprised us was that our heavy users, light users, and non-Gen Z users wanted the same thing: they think the brand is cool, but want to feel a little better about the food. Now, we know we are not a health-forward brand, but we don’t want to lose that craveability.

Consumers don’t see a demarcation in expectations between QSR, fast-casual or the local taco joint, so that means that fighting for attention is harder.

What trends are you watching?

For food, I think the expectations for every brand are elevated, be it fast food or sit-down. Consumers want good service, good experience, good quality products and value. You have to do it all, even when consumers don't have as much to spend.

On consumers in general, I think they have a craving for brands to be more real than ever, and I don’t know if a lot of brands are getting that right. Consumers want brands to be vulnerable. If you look at our Live Más Live event, we put three execs on stage to talk about our brand. And that was a massive, not risk, but a big question mark on how it would go. (Taco Bell is doing another Live Más Live event next year.)

On the brand-building side, I think it’s more about actions over words than ever. Consumers are looking for what brands believe in and what actions they take to back that up, which is why we did our The Cantinas experiential event.

What item from the Decades menu are you excited about and what is your current Taco Bell order?

The Meximelt—it’s so simple and so good. And my Taco Bell order has not changed in 30 years. A crunchy taco but with one or two fire sauce packets per bite, so like10 sauces, and then a bean burrito, grilled, extra onions with a Baja Blast Zero.