New data shows Taco Bell has seen a drop in customer traffic since it was linked to an ongoing cyst disease outbreak.
As of July 17, the number of visitors to Taco Bell restaurants nationwide was down nearly 19% compared to the average number of Fridays from January 1 to July 6 of this year, according to Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic using data from cameras and mobile devices.
On the same day, Taco Bell announced it was removing Taylor Farms lettuce from its food products after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration linked it to an outbreak of parasitic diseases that cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.
The fast food chain said in a statement that the move was “taken out of an abundance of caution and in ongoing consultation with public health authorities.”
“Taco Bell is taking precautions and encouraging all affiliated restaurants, retailers and food service providers to do the same,” the company said in a statement. The company reiterated on social media that it takes the issue seriously and reassured customers that it is safe to eat at its restaurants.
USA TODAY reached out to Taco Bell for comment on the pedestrian traffic data.
Data: Taco Bell traffic declines since link to lettuce parasites
According to data from Placer.ai, Taco Bell saw a double-digit percentage drop in foot traffic in the days before officially removing lettuce from its restaurants.
On July 15, the chain’s foot traffic was down an average of 18.1% compared to Wednesdays this year. The day after the FDA first linked Taco Bell to the outbreak, Placer.ai said foot traffic at its restaurants was down 16.9% compared to the average Thursday this year.
Taco Bell’s foot traffic was lower than the average for all other quick-service and fast-casual restaurants in Placer.ai’s data, including Chipotle, McDonald’s, Subway and Chopt, on the same day.
Individually, Subway saw a 19.2% decrease in pedestrian traffic on July 16th, followed by a 3.3% decrease on July 17th compared to the average for both weekdays this year. Chipotle fell 2.8% on July 16 and 6.9% on July 17, according to Placer.ai.
On July 20, Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant said in a LinkedIn post that the company “continues to be transparent about what we know and what we’ll do next.”
“We are not entitled to your loyalty. We earn it one meal at a time,” Tresvant wrote. “Every decision we make is aimed at doing the right thing for the people we serve.”
Latest information on cyclosporiasis: cases, lettuce recalls, and what you need to know
According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the center has confirmed more than 1,600 cases of cysticercosis nationwide as of July 13, and is working to confirm more than 5,000 additional cases.
The total includes 141 people hospitalized with the illness. So far, 34 states have reported cases dating back to May 1, according to the CDC.
Taylor Farms announced a large-scale voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products on July 17 after the FDA linked it to the outbreak. The FDA’s investigation initially linked the illness to lettuce from Mexico’s Taylor Farms, which was sold at some Taco Bell stores in five states.
Taylor Farms’ lettuce samples tested positive for Cyclospora on July 18, but the FDA announced on July 19 that retesting revealed the test was a false positive.
As of July 19, no samples tested for Cyclospora have yielded positive results, the FDA said. However, the Taylor farm remains linked to the outbreak while the FDA continues to investigate the exact source and collect test samples.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. X Keep up with her at @melinakh and on Instagram @bymelinakhan.
