Taco Bell customers have an interesting take on the concept of health food.
The Yum Brands-owned (YUM) chain has been testing out a Naked Chicken Chalupa. As the name suggests, it’s essentially a chalupa with fried chicken in place of a tortilla shell, kind of like a Tex Mex version of KFC’s Double Down sandwich. What’s most surprising about the new menu item is how consumers perceive it.
“We were getting feedback like, ‘It’s so healthy. It’s so fresh,'” Taco Bell senior marketing manager Kat Garcia told BuzzFeed. “That really surprised us because it’s fried chicken.” The company added that, despite what people have been saying about it, it will not be marketed as a healthy option.
Foodbeast was the first to confirm the Naked Chicken Chalupa’s existence back in September, finding it at two locations in California. Testing must have been successful, because Brand Eating reports that Taco Bell will be rolling it out nationally sometime in 2017.
Taco Bell could not immediately be reached for comment.