Man Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Taco Bell for Stinting on Beef
He says the chain promises "double the amount" of ingredients it actually provides.
Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images
Back in the ’80s, “Where’s the beef?” was a zeitgeist-tweaking Wendy’s catchphrase. Now it’s the unspoken question underlying a class-action lawsuit filed against Taco Bell by a distinctly unsatisfied customer.
In a complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York, a plaintiff named Frank Siragusa, of Ridgewood, New York, accuses Taco Bell of “falsely advertising the amount of beef and ingredients” in several menu items.
Siragusa says the chain indicates it will provide at least “double the amount” of certain ingredients in its Crunchwrap Supreme, Grande Crunchwrap, Vegan Crunchwrap, Mexican Pizza and Veggie Mexican Pizza than they actually do. He further claims that customers are damaged financially by what he says is false advertising because they get less than they pay for.
The consumer class-action suit Siragusa v. Taco Bell Corp. was filed on behalf of Sigarusa “and all others similarly situated” by the Law Office of James C. Kelly and the Russo Firm in the Eastern District of New York on July 31, 2023. It says Siragusa and anyone else who purchased the previously mentioned menu items from a Taco Bell in New York during the period of July 31, 2020, through the date of the final deposition in the suit, are eligible to be part of the class.
“Taco Bell’s advertisements for the Overstated Menu Items are unfair and financially damaging to consumers as they are receiving a product that is materially lower in value than what is being promised,” the suit alleges. “Taco Bell’s actions are especially concerning now that inflation, food, and meat prices are very high and many consumers, especially lower income consumers, are struggling financially.”
The filing includes photos of advertised versions of the menu items in question, including a Mexican Pizza, juxtaposed with photos of the items served to customers.
“If Plaintiff knew that the Mexican Pizza contained half of the amount of beef and bean filling as advertised, he would not have purchased the Mexican Pizza and/or he would not have paid the $5.49 price that he paid for the Mexican Pizza,” the suit says.
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