NE BUSINESS BUREAU
NEW DELHI, APRIL 18
Taco Bell India, the global Mexican inspired food chain, is thanking India’s frontline warriors and pledging support to daily wage earners and underserved communities in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis through its ‘Taco Bell Cares’ initiative.
The brand has gone a step ahead and curated a special recipe known as the Taco Bell Care Power Bowl. The wholesome and filling Taco Bell Care Power Bowl has been developed by the brand’s Food Innovation team and consists of white rice, Pinto beans and spicy salsa. The brand has committed to distributing hundreds of meals each day across operational stores during the lockdown period. The meals comprising of the specially-curated Taco Bell Care Power Bowls will help sustain frontline warriors and daily wage earners as they put in long hours during the ongoing health crisis, often not eating for prolonged durations of time, as well as provide filling meals to underserved communities who are unable to access daily rations.
Taco Bell Cares will be led through collaborations with various hospitals, NGOs and partner brands. Currently, the brand has started distribution across New Delhi and Bangalore, and will extend scale of the initiative as it reopens outlets across different parts of the country. The first such activity was kicked off with non-profit organisation Goonj where meals are being delivered to daily workers. The brand has also initiated a partnership with non-profit World Health Group for their community driven Project Thali, which aims to connect the dots between partnering restaurants, NGOs and the government and ensure that those unable to claim daily ration get access to food & nourishment.
A Taco Bell Care Fund has also been set up which will see voluntary contributions of one-day salaries by Taco Bell employees as their way of supporting the nation. The proceeds from the fund which will be donated to the PM CARES Fund set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sharing his thoughts, Gaurav Burman, Director, Burman Hospitality Private Limited, Taco Bell’s Master Franchise partner in India, said, “In these extraordinary times, we at Taco Bell believe that it is only by coming together as a community that we will be able to overcome this pandemic. I am extremely proud that every individual at Burman Hospitality has voluntarily given generously to The Taco Bell Cares initiative. The country’s unsung heroes are leading the fight against the pandemic, often putting their own health at risk in the process. The Taco Bell Care Power Bowls will ensure that our frontline warriors have a healthy and nourishing meal to keep them energised as they continue serving the nation.
Taco Bell’s commitment to distributing meals is an extension of the unique digital activation that the brand led in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Janata Curfew’ held at the end of March. Taco Bell created a virtual bell on its website and urged netizens to ‘Ring The Bell’ as a way of expressing their gratitude to the COVID-19 Warriors, with each bell rung translating into a meal commitment by the brand.
