vegan News

Taco Bell is testing vegetarian menu items exclusively in Dallas

Taco Bell vegetarian crunch wrap.

Courtesy photo

Tex-Mex chain Taco Bell is testing its first-ever dedicated vegetarian menu, featuring items certified by the American Vegetarian Association (AVA), beginning on April 4.

The menu will feature two brand-new items, both of which use black beans:

Vegetarian Crunchwrap Supreme. This is a twist on the regular Crunchwrap Supreme, a classic menu item with seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and reduced fat sour cream, wrapped up in a crunchy tostada shell. In the vegetarian version, the beef is replaced by black beans. It's $3.70.
Vegetarian Quesarito. This is a saucy quesadilla-burrito, packed with black beans. It's $3.05.

This is in addition to the fan-favorite, the already-vegetarian 7-Layer Burrito, which has refried beans, rice, guacamole, shredded lettuce, a three-cheese blend, diced tomatoes, and reduced fat sour cream.

The exciting news is that the items will be tested exclusively in the Dallas market. According to a release, 60 percent of Taco Bell's Dallas-area restaurants will be testing the new vegetarian menu, which amounts to approximately 200 restaurants.

Taco Bell was the first QSR certified by the American Vegetarian Association in 2015. About 9 percent of all items ordered at Taco Bell are either vegetarian or made vegetarian by some type of substitution or removal, and Taco Bell sells 350 million vegetarian items a year.

Diners can identify any AVA-certified items, such as the classic Bean Burrito, by a green "V" symbol on the menu. Those seeking certified vegan options can order vegetarian items and ask for it to be made "Fresco Style."

Pending the results of this Dallas test, Taco Bell will target a national rollout of these changes for late 2019 or early 2020.

Back in January, Taco Bell committed to making things better and easier for vegetarians, flexitarians, and carnivores alike, and the brand is taking a major step toward making that a reality with this new AVA-certified menu.

Taco Bell has also launched two new zero-sugar beverages: Pepsi Zero Sugar and Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero Sugar.

Fans who place an order via the Taco Bell app or online will be eligible for a free small size of either beverage through April 3. By 2022, Taco Bell is tracking for at least 50 percent of its medium-size fountain beverages to be 100 calories or less, with less than 20 grams of sugar.

vegan

Sudden shutdown

Eno's Pizza Tavern suddenly closes one of its 3 Dallas-area restaurants

Eno's Pizza Tavern/Facebook

Eno's closed its most recently opened location, at The Sound in Cypress Hill.

An iconic name in Dallas pizza is closing one of its restaurants: Eno's Pizza Tavern at Cypress Waters at The Sound announced on social media that its last day was Sunday, November 1.

The closure of this Eno's in Coppell — which opened in 2019 — came as a surprise to customers, judging by the reaction on social media. Several Facebook and Instagram users expressed shock, saying they had just been there and couldn't believe the news. As one commenter put it, "Nooooooo."

As recently as Halloween, the restaurant hosted a costume contest and pizza giveaways — those gift cards can be used at the other two locations.

The notice, posted on Facebook and Instagram, read:

"A note from our table to yours. Eno's Cypress Waters served its final guests on Sunday, November 1. Thank you for the birthdays, date nights, game days, and weeknight pizzas you shared with us there. It was an honor to be your neighborhood spot. Eno's is still here for you at Bishop Arts and Forney, and your Cypress Waters gift cards and loyalty points are good at every Eno's location."

Eno's opened its original restaurant in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas in 2008. The pizzeria developed a following for its thin-crust pizzas and pioneering selection of craft beer. Signature pies include the Pig Smiley with Benton's ham, Eno's sausage, honey, and pepperoni; and The Original with tomatoes, garlic mushrooms, Genoa salami, and sport peppers.

The restaurant was one of the first businesses to open in Bishop Arts, which over the next decade began booming, and now bursts at the seams with all manner of eateries, coffee shops, bars, and boutiques.

The restaurant expanded beyond Oak Cliff in 2017, opening a second location in downtown Forney. That restaurant serves the familiar pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, along with appetizers, salads, soups, desserts, and a daily lunch special.

The Cypress Waters restaurant came two years , bringing Eno's to The Sound, a lakeside entertainment and dining destination. Its location featured an 1,800-square-foot rooftop patio overlooking the water. The Sound's official Instagram account responded to the closure announcement: "Thank you for being a part of our community at The Sound. The Cypress Waters Eno’s storefront will be missed."

Partnerships with local organizations and independent businesses have also been part of Eno's history. The restaurant was an early supporter of North Texas craft beer, established Brew Riot, a Dallas-area homebrew competition, and partnered with a local elementary school on the iBike Rosemont initiative to encourage students to stay active. It has also been involved with the Bishop Arts District Merchants Association and VisitDallas.

With Cypress Waters now closed, Eno's continues to operate its original restaurant at 407 N. Bishop Ave. in Bishop Arts, Dallas, and in Forney, at 215 S. Bois D'Arc St.

CultureMap has reached out to Eno's for further comment and will update this story if more details become available.

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