For whatever reason, Taco Bell is in all of our consideration sets. There is something about the grade F meat, cheese and greasy chicken that is so appealing to all our taste buds. For me, Taco Bell is my prototype for fast food. To me it is more unique than other fast food and there are more options than you get at a burger place. You can choose from anything from mexican pizza and nachos to double layered tacos with a layer of cheese in between. Even so, the food isn't the reason we choose to eat at Taco Bell as a group late at night.
At the beginning of the year, the first time we ate out together we went to Taco Bell. Because of the good time we had, we continue to choose Taco Bell. We do our best to recreate that same night because it satisfies our need for food and for time spent with friends. Our decision is positively reinforced by being rewarded with a good time and food that we enjoy but regret eating afterward. Taco Bell has become a habit for our group of friends. Very little effort goes into our decision making process, if we are hungry and it is past 10 p.m., you can bet your life we will be at Taco Bell.
I can definitely relate to this! I can not say that it is my favorite food or even close to quality, but when it comes to cost it can not be beat. Taco Bell Easily has ten times more options for under two dollars than just about any other fast food restaurant. Like you I feel that a lot of it has to do with the positive experiences I have had there. There has never been a time where I did not have a good time at Taco Bell, so now it has become a fairly regular thing for my roommate and I to go to Taco Bell.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how low-effort choices can override our thought process about decisions. This is the same for me and my friends at McDonald's. We all know that it's low quality, probably very old, and bad for us, and yet we don't consider any alternatives. If we're hungry, we jump in the car as fast as possible and go. I also agree with you that it's not just about the food. For me, it's about doing something random late at night with friends.
ReplyDeleteTaco Bell has been very affective in their advertising when it comes to placing themselves in the evoked sets of late night eaters. Nearly everyone is familiar with the term "Fourthmeal." This is a great advantage for Taco Bell in the market of late night fast food. The term often comes to mind when late night hunger arises, and in this case, there hardly seems to be any other option than Taco Bell. I believe we will continue to crave Taco Bell late at night even somewhat to the extent of classical conditioning. Taco Bell has done the right things in their advertising.
ReplyDeleteTaco Bell is the death of all college students. They have created an atmosphere where anyone can enjoy extremely low quality food that is not healthy for you and has made it so we are addicted to it. Taco Bell's drive thru and lobby is open later compared to most fast food restaurants. After 10:00pm, a snack craving kicks in. We want something simple and quick. Taco Bell in Anderson is very cheap, close to campus, and is open for the late night hours of college students.
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