I wouldn't expect the brand that is most associated with "cheap, filling, and usually not terrible" to be able to pull off a higher price transformation. When y

I wouldn't expect the brand that is most associated with "cheap, filling, and usually not terrible" to be able to pull off a higher price transformation. When you build a brand that strongly based on being cheap, you have to own it...there's just no way to take Taco Bell up-scale (McDonald's is finding this out, too). I'm surprised anybody savvy enough to be in a leadership role at Taco Bell would make that kind of mistake. I don't know much about branding or managing a food business, but I know that can't work (and, I can't think of a single successful example of it). Chipotle has the brand that is already pretty strong there in that tier of the market just above fast food and below sit-down casual dining.