Does The Taco Bell Breakfast Really Pose A Threat To McDonalds?

Can the Taco Bell breakfast really do some serious damage to McDonald’s bottom line?

Since the new menu items just arrived around the country last month, there’s a strong possibility that the world’s number one fast food joint could feel the sting of competition for the next several weeks. After all, folks will probably pick up the Taco Bell breakfast just to see what all the fuss is about.

However, the question remains: Does Taco Bell and its new breakfast menu have what it takes to stick around? Is there any longevity to the Taco Waffle and the A.M. Crunchwrap? Although time will tell if the chain can sustain itself for years to come, some experts believe McDonald’s shouldn’t dismiss the new items altogether.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, getting people to reprogram their habits is essential to the Taco Bell breakfast’s continued success. If the company can get people to stop heading to McDonald’s for their morning meal, then they could eventually steal quite a bit of business away from the competition.

“People are so tired in the morning, they’ve almost preprogrammed their cars to take them to McDonald’s. So we needed something that would grab people by the lapels and make them pay attention. It had to be bigger than just focusing on the menu,” Deutsch LA CEO Peter Favat told the publication.

Of course, not everyone feels the Taco Bell breakfast poses a serious threat to McDonald’s profits. The folks at Motley Fool believe there are several factors working against the fast food chain at the moment. In addition to odd hours — breakfast is only available from 7 am to 11 am — the menu items themselves are a little out of the ordinary.

And then there’s the problem with the coffee:

“Taco Bell offers exactly one hot caffeine option for morning customers, and while classic coffee will never go out of style, it’s not a draw in a landscape where Starbucks and McDonald’s offer lattes and iced coffee for commuter caffeination. Customers now expect premium coffee options and will go elsewhere if they can’t find the favorites they love or the variety they want.”

Regardless of whether or not the Taco Bell breakfast sticks around, it’s clear that people are definitely satisfying their curiosity about the new menu items at the moment. While the restaurant’s offerings aren’t too bad — this writer was particularly fond of the A.M. Crunchwrap — most people won’t permanently replace Egg McMuffins with a Taco Waffle anytime soon.

[Image via Taylor Strategy]