A dissatisfied customer, Frank Siragusa, took legal action against Taco Bell for what he claims to be deceptive advertising. Siragusa filed a proposed class action lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court, accusing the fast-food chain of falsely promoting its Mexican Pizza, Veggie Mexican Pizza, Crunchwrap Supreme, Grande Crunchwrap, and Vegan Crunchwrap.
According to Siragusa, the items appeared to contain only half as much beef and bean filling as depicted in the chain's advertisements. He backed his claims with photos showing vibrant and generously-filled food in advertisements, compared to smaller and less appealing servings that people posted online.
The lawsuit alleges that Taco Bell's advertising practices are unjust and financially detrimental to consumers, particularly concerning the current economic conditions marked by high inflation and food prices. Customers of Taco Bell who purchased the five items in New York State during the previous three years are owed at least $5 million, according to the lawsuit. However, Siragusa is not asserting that the items contain less content than what is described on Taco Bell's website.
Notably, Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum Brands, has yet to respond to the requests for comment on the matter.
Frank Siragusa's lawyers have previously handled similar cases against other fast-food giants, including McDonald's and Wendy's over burger size discrepancies, and Burger King over the contents of its Whopper sandwich. The lawsuit against Burger King reached an impasse during mediation.
One of Siragusa's lawyers, Anthony Russo, claimed that Taco Bell fails to adequately disclose the weight of the beef or filling, implying that most consumers make their purchases based on the product's promotional images rather than weight disclosures.
The case, identified as Siragusa v Taco Bell Corp, is now before the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York, with case number 23-05748.