MEXICO CITY – It sounds like a fast-food grudge match: Taco Bell is taking on the homeland of its namesake by reopening in Mexico after 15 years.
Defenders of Mexican culture see the chain’s re-entry as an insult to a society already overrun by U.S. chains, including Starbucks, Subway and KFC: “It’s like bringing ice to the Arctic,” pop-culture historian Carlos Monsivais said.
The company’s branding strategy – “Taco Bell is something else” – is an attempt to distance itself from Mexico’s beloved taquerias. The company is projecting a more American image by adding french fries – some topped with cheese, sour cream, ground meat and tomatoes – to the menu at its first store, which recently opened in Monterrey. But while Mexicans eagerly buy many American brands, the taco holds a place of honor in the national cuisine.
“They’re not tacos,” Mexican Marco Fragoso said of the Taco Bell variety. “They’re folded tostadas. They’re very ugly.” The Associated Press
