Taco Bell is slashing potatoes from the menu, and vegan and vegetarian customers are furious

• Taco Bell is slashing potatoes from the menu, including Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, and Cheesy Potato Loaded Grillers.
• Some potato lovers — including vegetarian and vegan fast-food customers — are furious about the menu change.
• "While some vegetarian favorites are retiring, we're continuing to innovate across all categories — including plant-based," a Taco Bell representative said.

Taco Bell is slashing potatoes from the menu, to the horror of some vegetarian and vegan customers.

On Friday, the fast-food chain announced that in mid-August it would cut potato options, including the Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, and Cheesy Potato Loaded Grillers, from the menu.

"We know some vegetarian go-to items might be gone, but Taco Bell's menu remains highly customizable," Taco Bell said in a press release. "Don't forget to lookout for the vegetarian symbol on menus to indicate vegetarian products, and remember you can swap out any protein for beans in any menu item."

The loss of potatoes in particular sparked backlash on social media.

The decision to cut potatoes from the menu is a particularly difficult loss for some vegetarian and vegan Taco Bell fans.

When asked for further information about Taco Bell's plans to fill the gap left by potatoes, a Taco Bell representative emphasized that the chain plans to continue to push for more vegetarian options.

"We launched the new Vegetarian Panel at the beginning of the year, prior to our shifts in operations over the last few months related to COVID-19," the representative said in an email to Business Insider. "While some vegetarian favorites are retiring, we're continuing to innovate across all categories — including plant-based."

Last year, Taco Bell told Business Insider that the chain was avoiding faux meat options, instead focusing on "real plant-based proteins" such as beans and potatoes. However, in February, CEO Mark King told Bloomberg that the chain believes "plant-based protein has a place on the menu," and that he had recently met with Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat.