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EP35 - You Gotta Love Fourth Meal! · Oh And One More Thing

0:33
hey, I'm Brian and welcome to our Owen One More Thing podcast.
0:37
Hey everyone, I'm Rob. We are your hosts.
0:38
I'm thing one. And I'm Thing 2 for another
0:41
riveting half hour of useless information.
0:44
That's what we do. Hey, so Brian, you know I was
0:47
perusing the interwebs this week.
0:49
You were I. Was and do you remember a little
0:52
thing called life alert? Yes.
0:54
And when you had the old lady that fall down and she goes, I
0:57
fallen and I can't get up. What?
1:00
A nice rendition of. That remember her?
1:02
Yeah, I do. Yeah.
1:03
You remember, like, like 30 years ago, Remember, like we
1:05
used to mock and ridicule her and like, we'd use that, like
1:07
when our friends did something stupid, we go, look, you've
1:09
fallen. Remember that?
1:11
Yeah. Yeah.
1:12
That's like real life now. And it is, I'm sad to say, it
1:15
really is real life I. Wouldn't say daily, but yeah,
1:19
falling. I can't get up.
1:20
That happens now. Or get up slowly, yeah.
1:23
It's it's not as funny as it used to be.
1:24
Yeah. Honey, can you help me out?
1:28
Yeah, right. How, how was your day?
1:29
How what you been doing? A lot of work today.
1:31
Oh yeah. So this is unusual for me, but.
1:33
Yeah, right. Work is good.
1:34
Work is good. We are in the process of
1:36
expanding our shop at work right now so.
1:38
It's exciting. Yeah, it is.
1:39
Yeah, so lots of new space. You have 3 new bays we.
1:42
Have three new bays. Yep.
1:43
Well, not new. But not 2, but more new.
1:45
New to us, Yeah, new to us bays. But yeah, that's been our big
1:47
project this week. So that's been kind of fun.
1:49
Good. Awesome.
1:52
Brian Breaking news What Count Chocula, the state Puffed
1:55
Marshmallow Man and the Teddy Graham's bear have all perished
1:58
in a fire. Oh no.
1:59
Smart at 11. Oh gosh, I used to love s'mores
2:05
right until what I thought used to be true about marshmallows.
2:08
So I stopped eating them. Yeah.
2:09
We talked about that a couple episodes.
2:10
Ago, didn't we? I think it was episode 33.
2:12
Oh. Yeah, that's right.
2:13
Yeah, now since I've learned the truth about marshmallows, it's
2:16
just heated and whipped up sugar, which is still not good
2:19
for you. That's much.
2:20
But I think I'm gonna start eating them again.
2:21
Really. Yeah, but I'm gonna wait till
2:23
around the campfire. Good call.
2:24
I don't wanna get carried away with too many sweets, you know?
2:27
I don't like to overindulge. OK.
2:32
So do you remember during our show choir travels and even our
2:36
nights out on the town with friends needing some late night
2:39
food? Yeah, I mean, nothing beats a
2:40
midnight fast food run, or as we'd like to call it, 4th meal.
2:43
That's right, so we were having way too much fun to even notice
2:46
the drive through worker who definitely were judging how
2:49
excited we were about tacos at midnight.
2:51
Are you a hard shell or a soft shell?
2:53
Oh, I'm. Completely a soft shell.
2:54
Are you? I am used to be a hard shell but
2:56
now I'm a soft shell. I think that comes with age.
2:59
Maybe that's a little too much information, He.
3:01
Said he said. Hard shell.
3:04
So back in the day again, the 90s.
3:08
So after we went. Out your day my day my.
3:11
Day 80s, Yeah, right. OK, so back in my day, the early
3:13
90s when we go out, you know, we, we called it clubbing back
3:15
then. Clubbing.
3:16
They still call. It that now?
3:17
I have no idea if they call it club, I have no idea we'd have
3:20
to call a younger person. Yeah, or just go to the club.
3:23
I don't think they even have clubs, do they?
3:24
I think. They must, right?
3:26
I don't, I've yeah, I don't know, look colour of my hair.
3:28
I don't know. I know my daughter went at some
3:30
sort of club on New Year's. I mean, I remember she called
3:33
it. But anyway, now, now my point.
3:35
My point was our big 4th meal one at the time was White
3:39
Castle. OK, you know White Castle.
3:41
I do. Everyone.
3:42
Was White Castle. I mean, come on.
3:43
I don't know that I've ever eaten 1 SO.
3:45
Well, I ate rarely, but we used to go to the one in North
3:48
Minneapolis off West Broadway. OK, because that's.
3:50
Right next to downtown. So we'd go there and we get we
3:53
get a couple couple sliders. Right, which is?
3:55
Hamburger box of nails, which is the fries?
3:58
And they're called boxing. Box of nails and a cup of wash
4:01
with a cup of wash, which is your pop so we literally go the
4:04
speaker speaker box go Yep, I need 3 sliders box of nails and
4:07
a wash really and they'd say you know 543 pull forward.
4:11
Really exactly what you're talking about yeah we stopped
4:13
doing that when we started hearing gunshots Oh well then we
4:16
stopped going there. Now mind do we finished and got
4:18
our Food First right but cause. 'Cause you know priorities,
4:21
priorities. You gotta know what you want,
4:23
but. After that last visit, we
4:24
stopped going that way. But let's talk about Taco Bell's
4:27
fourth meal. And it was always Taco Bell.
4:31
Uncle John's. Maybe in a prior life, but yeah.
4:33
Always Taco Bell and some rinking college down, probably.
4:35
Yeah. So a while back, Taco Bell
4:36
launched a new campaign. Well, new then.
4:39
Yeah. And it evolved into a pop
4:40
culture phenomena. Hmm, Taco Bell first officially
4:43
introduced the 4th Meal Quotes in the Air concept in 2006.
4:47
You know, the idea was pretty simple to define and own the
4:49
late night meal slot between dinner and breakfast, a meal
4:52
most fast food chains hadn't explicitly claimed before.
4:56
As the chain put it, 4th meal was meant to serve people eating
4:58
after dinner but before breakfast.
5:00
Taco Bell recognized that many potential customers, especially
5:03
younger people, night shift workers, college students and
5:06
partiers like maybe us, right? We're looking for a quick,
5:09
affordable food late night. Well, and of course you're
5:11
hungry after dancing the night away.
5:13
Well, right, you had to have something got to replenish.
5:15
Right, and it sure the tons of alcohol didn't.
5:18
Didn't help at all, Right? I'm sure that was kind of the
5:21
decision maker right there, right?
5:22
Exactly. Yeah.
5:23
So rather than compete strictly at lunch or dinner time frames,
5:26
Taco Bell sought to create and own the whole new day part.
5:30
And they did a phenomenal job. So here's how kind of how they
5:33
built the 4th Meal identity. So the campaign launch
5:36
nationwide and was backed by TV, radio, outdoor ads, in store
5:39
advertising and even an interactive website, 4th
5:42
meal.com. Did you ever go there?
5:44
I actually just went there tonight.
5:45
Ohh is this still up? Well, it directs you to
5:48
tacobell.com. Ohh, OK, it does.
5:49
Different. It does still work, but it just
5:51
redirects you to talk about 'cause they they own the 4th
5:53
meal.com. Right.
5:54
Yeah, OK. The marketing pitched 4th meal
5:57
as a lifestyle, the meal between dinner and breakfast.
5:59
Advertising leaned into youthful, irreverent energy,
6:02
late night Hangouts of late night cravings, the munchies and
6:06
post party food runs. The campaign even gave rise to a
6:09
new term, 4th mealer for someone who grabs a late night Taco Bell
6:13
run. Taco Bell didn't just sell tacos
6:15
after dark, they sold the new social behaviour, like brunch,
6:18
but for late night cravings. Right?
6:20
So Brian, what was your go to 4th meal Taco Bell?
6:23
Order. I think when I went to Taco Bell
6:25
late night, it was always going to be a soft shell tacos.
6:27
OK, But I didn't really go there that often.
6:30
You know, I really wasn't a late night guy.
6:32
OK. So I pretty much only went there
6:34
when I went out with you and other friends.
6:36
OK. But other than that, no.
6:37
Yeah. Yeah, see, I'm more of a Taco
6:38
Bell connoisseur. Talk about kind of sewer, yeah.
6:41
That would that would be my place.
6:42
Couple of reasons. One their foods phenomenal a
6:45
tool of all the fast food places, probably the healthiest
6:49
and I know I'm saying healthy with like cheeky little air
6:51
quotes, but if you're going to pick between any of the other
6:53
fast food places, probably the healthiest.
6:56
Ohh, come on, it is is not they. Don't have healthy, they don't
6:59
have a lot of deep fried stuff. Once you get deep fried things,
7:02
it's they have always have lettuce and tomatoes and that
7:04
kind of things in your orders. It's a strictly meat and shell.
7:06
That's not meat. It is too.
7:08
It's not real meat. I can.
7:10
Guarantee it is, and here's how I know.
7:12
How do you know? 'Cause back in my target days
7:14
one of the stores I was at was a Taco Bell and Pizza Hut combo
7:16
thing, so I used to check in the orders for the food and watch
7:19
how they do it. Now the meat itself, it is
7:21
actual meat I I can guarantee. It they used real meat, they
7:23
used. Real meat.
7:24
But here's what's weird. Here's here's the wrong OK, it
7:28
came in these plastic bags that it was freeze dried.
7:32
So you put it in this huge steamer, you know, behind the
7:34
moisture and add moisture and that that steamed it up and then
7:37
created the created meat again. But it is my.
7:39
Gosh that sounds delicious. Freeze dried meat.
7:41
Actually looked really, really gross, but but once it was
7:45
moisturized, yeah, it was it it is real meat.
7:48
Yeah. So I I will back that up.
7:50
I have a couple go TOS. What are they?
7:52
Well, the Mexican pizza, which is.
7:53
Back I don't think I've ever. Had yeah, they went away for a
7:55
while and they came back. Mexican pizza is phenomenal.
7:58
The Nacho Supreme. OK, I've had that.
8:00
Love some nachos. Yeah.
8:01
And really anything that's like a double Decker type thing like
8:04
thing they put meat in top meat with like meat in between do.
8:07
You like to meat Rob? With cheese and beans and
8:10
everything else. But yeah, I'm thinking like
8:12
double or triple decorate I'm in.
8:13
It's no see, I used to work at Burger King so.
8:15
OK, so you're more of a burger? I'm a burger guy.
8:18
Burger King Snob A. Whopper gotta.
8:20
Get me a whopper whopper 'cause you get to have it your way.
8:24
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For a personalized quote specific to your property,
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that's Spring dashgreen.com. And tell them, Oh, and one more
9:11
thing sent you. So there's some history here to
9:16
the late night meal. While Taco Bell coined the
9:18
modern term, the concept of a meal or snack in the late
9:21
evening has historical precedence.
9:24
Yeah, so second supper. In the 19th and early 20th
9:27
centuries, there were occasional mentions of a second supper,
9:30
though it is often a practice of the wealth.
9:31
You could afford to stay up late and burn extra light sources.
9:35
OK, now back up a second. Right?
9:37
I take issue with the word supper.
9:38
You don't like supper? No, I it OK, so.
9:41
I mean it comes from religious terms.
9:43
Last Supper. Yeah, I I get that.
9:45
But I grew up in a very much of A breakfast, lunch, dinner
9:48
household. OK, My wife, named The Hang,
9:50
grew up in a breakfast, dinner, supper household.
9:54
OK, so that's interesting because I also grew up in a
9:57
breakfast, lunch or dinner where they were synonymous.
10:00
And then supper. OK, so back up.
10:01
Why? Why is lunch and dinner
10:02
synonymous like I? Don't know.
10:04
Why is that? I don't know.
10:04
That's just how it was. And when you grew up as a small
10:07
child, that's just life. That's what it is, right?
10:09
Right. Anyway, my wife also grew up the
10:11
same way it was. It was breakfast, dinner,
10:14
supper. OK.
10:15
And so when we got married, we made a conscious effort to, we
10:18
don't want to say the word supper because, and I'll make a
10:20
point here, we had made plans with people in where my wife
10:25
grows, grew up to meet for dinner.
10:27
We show up in the evening and it was for noon.
10:31
And we're like, we are, we got to train these people all over
10:34
again, right? Because it's called dinner at
10:36
6:00, right? It's lunch in the afternoon.
10:39
Yeah. We have the same issue with
10:40
Tammy's family because they still call it, you know,
10:42
breakfast, dinner, supper. So when we ever say we're coming
10:44
over to eat, they we say dinner, supper.
10:47
We have to be very clear which one we actually mean.
10:49
Like what? We have to say a time.
10:51
Like they'll say supper is at 5:00, we'll say dinner is at 5.
10:54
We have to say the time. Yeah.
10:57
Yeah, because we don't know. We got used to saying the time
10:59
as well. So when you say dinner, is that
11:01
noon to you? Or, you know, we'd have to
11:03
clarify. Right, I also get how dinner and
11:05
supper and lunch and dinner became synonymous.
11:07
That just is weird to me. It's odd.
11:08
And I don't like supper because I feel like I'm in Wisconsin at
11:10
a supper club when you say that word.
11:12
Now I like a good supper. Club.
11:14
Who doesn't like a good supper club?
11:15
Come on. But it just doesn't work for me.
11:17
Moving on, Moving on and done. So when I joined my wife's
11:21
family back in the day, if we were out late at the bars and
11:25
became, you know, home, we always had what their family
11:28
called a little lunch. And a little lunch meant anytime
11:32
after 10:00, you go to the fridge, you pull everything out.
11:36
Everything. No matter what was in it, you
11:37
pull it out and you snack on it. OK, that makes so much sense to
11:41
me now. I so many things just like clear
11:43
to my head because when we like over at your house, we're
11:45
playing cards. We pull everything out of the.
11:47
Everything comes. Out because we're going to have
11:49
a. Little lunch and there's a
11:50
smorgasbord I. Know right?
11:51
OK, you're going to have a little lunch.
11:53
It's so clear now I get it OK. I love a little lunch, right?
11:57
Late night snacking, it's great. OK, I'm with you.
12:00
All right, OK, so back back to the topic at hands here.
12:02
So the cultural variations of 4th meal.
12:04
Many cultures around the world have long had a late night or
12:07
mid evening eating occasion such as SU Yay in parts of Asia or
12:12
Launce in Chile which is a late afternoon slash early evening
12:16
tea time. You said those really well.
12:18
Oh thanks, it sounds like a practice for 5 minutes you did.
12:20
Practice anyway. The campaign gained traction not
12:24
just with consumers, but with a broader culture.
12:27
Late night tea bell runs after concert or after bar tacos
12:32
became a routine for many younger and older adults.
12:35
Like us. Like us?
12:37
In 2008, Taco Bell expanded 4th Meal via a music promotion
12:41
initiative called Feed the Beast, giving touring bands free
12:45
4th meals. That's awesome.
12:47
Tap it into the late night slash indie music scene to further
12:50
cement the campaign's youthful vibe.
12:52
Do you remember those? I I kind of do.
12:55
I that's the same thing. I kind of think I remember them.
12:57
I'm not 100% sure. Yeah, I think it was 2008.
13:00
What were we doing? Then I, I, I know, I seriously
13:03
do. I think I remember going to
13:04
concerts and I remember whoever. I can't remember who it was but
13:06
I remember them talking about Taco Bell at the concert.
13:08
Like that's a weird place for an ad, but they probably.
13:11
Paid a lot for it makes. Sense because they're feeding
13:13
the bees right? Totally get that now, OK.
13:15
So overtime, 4th meal became part of everyday slaying for
13:18
many people. It wasn't just a Taco Bell
13:20
promotion. It was a phrase people used to
13:23
describe the late night fast food run.
13:25
Yeah, and it's true because we use 4th meal all the time.
13:28
Yeah, yeah, totally use 4th meal.
13:29
Yeah. Some analysts have even credited
13:32
the campaign with reshaping American perceptions of when a
13:34
meal can happen, expanding the traditional three meal day,
13:38
breakfast, lunch, dinner. And I say dinner specifically,
13:40
not supper to include to include 1/4 after hours slot.
13:45
There should always be the fourth slot because, you know, I
13:48
don't know. I don't always think 3 meals a
13:50
day is enough. I mean, look at me.
13:55
So do you come snacking in between as as as a fourth meal
13:57
then I mean. No, those are snacks.
13:59
Those are totally a category of their own.
14:01
Those are snacking, Yeah. See, I'm, I'm a big, you know,
14:03
during the week, IE Sunday through Thursday, Like I'm good
14:07
with the three with the three, but Friday and Saturday, if I'm
14:09
up late doing something, oh, fourth meal is in full effect.
14:11
Yeah, totally has to be. Right.
14:13
Yeah. So we have a few more
14:14
interesting facts why 4th meal transcended advertising.
14:17
OK, because 4th meal wasn't a menu item, it was a time of day
14:22
and that allowed it to become meme worthy, shareable, and
14:26
flexible. People turned 4th meal into
14:29
shorthand for late night indulgence.
14:31
For many, a fourth meal run meant late night out partying,
14:35
college memories, gaming sessions or just hanging with
14:38
friends. Yep, some of Taco Bell's later
14:39
marketing efforts, songs, edgy ads, collaborations with
14:42
subcultures leaned into that late night lifestyle, energy
14:46
preserving 4th meals vibe even as the brand evolved.
14:49
According to some Reddit examples, 4th meal is code for
14:53
post bar drunk munch oh. Yes, it is.
14:56
I still use the term 4th meal for a late night meals or
14:59
snacks. Absolutely.
15:01
Yep. Even though official promotion
15:02
of 4th meal faded over time, especially as Taco Bell expanded
15:05
its offerings like breakfast, the legacy remains for many
15:08
fans. Taco Bell is a late night
15:11
institution. For sure.
15:12
Yep, the concept helped build inside jokes, shared experiences
15:15
and a cultural identity around Taco Bell beyond just being a
15:18
fast food chain. Yeah, over time, Taco Bell's
15:21
strategy shifted. In 2012, they began pushing a
15:24
breakfast menu, sometimes framed as first meal, which indicated A
15:29
pivot away from the purely late night positioning.
15:31
Have you? Had their breakfast.
15:32
No, again, I don't hardly ever go there.
15:34
OK, only for a late night still time I go there.
15:37
Big mistake. Their breakfast sausage burrito
15:39
is really, really good, and their little hash Browns are
15:42
good. But the best part?
15:43
What's the best? Part they sell a little 2 pack
15:46
of Cinnabon balls. So it's.
15:49
It's a Cinnabon. It's a Cinnabon with the little
15:52
creamy center. Yeah.
15:53
Oh my They just melt in your mouth.
15:56
We we should not go there. Yes, we should.
16:00
As fast food competition, consumer habits and delivery
16:02
options evolved, the novelty of a fourth meal may have diluted.
16:06
Late night options from many chains plus changing lifestyle
16:09
patterns meant the fourth meal niche was Leah was less unique.
16:12
Yeah, that's sad. Yeah, I know, right?
16:14
Well, the campaign was largely abandoned.
16:16
The cultural impact lingered. Many still fondly remember 4th
16:20
Meal, even if it's not part of Taco Bell's current marketing
16:23
push. And I'll be honest, before we
16:26
did this podcast, I honestly didn't know that 4th meal it
16:28
generated with Taco Bell. You didn't know that it came
16:31
from. I didn't know it.
16:31
Came from talk about. I know that's what we used it
16:33
for. I know that's but I can't
16:35
remember 30 years ago, whatever it was that that's where it came
16:38
from. I just knew.
16:39
Yeah. 4th meal. Let's do it.
16:40
Wait a minute, now it's 2026. Came out in 2006.
16:44
That's not 30. Fine, whatever. 20 years feels
16:49
like 30 years. I know how to do math.
16:51
Math is hard. And after all the 4th meal, how
16:57
did you feel? Well, at the time it was great,
16:59
but I mean like not so much later.
17:02
It's good at the moment, yeah. Yeah.
17:04
But I mean, talk about gut. Rat no.
17:06
God Totally. Wake up the next morning.
17:08
Oh, why does it? Hurt.
17:09
Yeah, you know, we still. It wasn't the alcohol.
17:12
No, it wasn't the alcohol. No, because you know, we still
17:14
at work on Fridays. We do, we do lunch as a team on
17:16
Fridays and we go to different places.
17:18
Of course my go to is Taco Bell. So when it's my turn to buy I do
17:21
Taco Bell. And do you feel that 3 or 4
17:23
hours later? Yeah.
17:25
You know you had Taco Bell if you know what I'm saying.
17:28
I thought about. 3 or 4 hours later, yeah, it's it's still
17:31
phenomenal. I love it.
17:33
So since we're talking so much about Taco Bell, maybe we should
17:35
go into when a Taco Bell become a chain restaurant?
17:38
That's a good idea. You see what this kind of
17:39
becoming the Taco Bell podcast all of a sudden and.
17:41
They're not even paying out we. Should get paid for this, right?
17:44
You'll care of Taco Bell. You remember that campaign?
17:46
Hey, I don't think you said it right.
17:48
You'll get a Taco Bell. Ohh you've been school, Yo Carol
17:56
Taco Bell, is that better? Yo, Cato.
17:58
Cato Taco Bell. Cato, Taco Bell.
17:59
I don't think I'm insulting so many people right now.
18:02
It could be more wrong. Alright, so when did that come
18:05
out? The famous commercial featuring
18:07
Gidget the Chihuahua. I do remember the Chihuahua.
18:10
I do I love. The Gidget first aired in 1997,
18:12
becoming an instant cultural sensation and a major opiate
18:16
controversial part of late 90s advertising, before being
18:18
discontinued around 2000 due to cultural sensitivity.
18:21
What this brings a flashback. I'm not culturally incensed.
18:26
I have. I have a flashback to We did our
18:28
snack podcast. Yeah.
18:30
And the Frito Lay song. I love the Frito Lay.
18:32
I know you do, but that only aired for like a year, 'cause it
18:35
was so bad. Like in this.
18:37
Was it 50s or 60s? I can't remember.
18:38
And but Frito Bandito and I appeared to stay.
18:41
Oh my God. OK, why do we do that?
18:43
But anyway, back to history. Taco Bell's history starts with
18:47
Glenn Bell, who, inspired by the Mittela Cafe in San Bernardino,
18:52
opened his first Taco Bell in Downey, CA.
18:56
OK, hey, way back up. The guy's actual name was Glenn
18:58
Bell. His last name was Bell.
19:00
Yeah, didn't you know that? I had no idea.
19:02
I only knew that because I wrote this.
19:05
That's that's amazing to me. OK, go on.
19:07
Anyway, in Downey, CA in 1962, serving a simple menu of 19 cent
19:14
tacos, burritos and more after learning to make hard shell
19:17
tacos from the Mitla Mitla Cafe owners, Bell successfully
19:22
franchised, growing rapidly before selling to Pepsi in 1978,
19:28
eventually becoming part of the Yum Brands.
19:31
Did you know that I didn't I. Didn't know that, Yum.
19:34
While innovating with new items and drive through concepts to
19:37
become a global fast food giant like it is today.
19:41
Well, since you wrote this and I don't read ahead, did you know
19:45
what do you know other brands are under the Yum Brands
19:47
umbrella. I don't know all the brands
19:49
under the Yum Brands. I'm going to say brands a few
19:51
more times. Brands.
19:52
So the brands under the brands, the two of the big ones are KFC
19:57
and Pizza Hut. Oh, OK, I think I did when I was
20:00
reading, writing the look, if we look down a little further, it
20:03
says Pizza Hut and KFC. Oh, there you go.
20:06
Look, I know things. You knew it without.
20:09
Reading, I know. OK, so as we are, you know,
20:13
Minnesota boys, do you remember before Taco Bell came here, do
20:17
you remember what it was and Taco Bell bought the franchise
20:20
out in Minnesota? Taco John's No.
20:22
No Zantigo's. Zantigo No.
20:25
Yeah. I remember Zantigo's right.
20:28
I used to live in Mankato. We had Zantigos, right?
20:30
Yeah. Yeah.
20:31
So my, I, my family lived down the on kind of like the crystal
20:35
New Hope Robsdale area. Yeah.
20:37
And there was Zantigos there forever.
20:38
And then one day we drove past and it's it's a Taco Bell.
20:40
I'm like, what happened to Santigos above Santigos.
20:43
This. Is Santigos the one with the
20:44
burritos as big as your head? Yes.
20:46
And and they have the picture of the guy with this big sombrero.
20:48
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And here's what's fascinating
20:51
about that. So, you know, I work in
20:54
Bloomington now. Yes, there's a Santigos in
20:56
Bloomington. So it came back.
20:57
Well, I don't know if it ever left, but there is an actual
21:00
Santigos in Bloomington. And we got to.
21:02
Go. OK, well, it's not as good as
21:03
talk about. Oh well.
21:05
It's good, it's good, but it's it's the problem is I'm trying
21:08
to remember like 40 years ago how like. 40 years back then.
21:12
Yeah. And it's, it's it.
21:13
I can't remember that far back. So it's good, it's just it's not
21:16
Taco. Bell, it's not 40 years ago. 78.
21:19
Oh, that's a while. That's more like 50.
21:21
No. OK, 48 you're.
21:23
Right, 48, yes, exactly. Anyway, anyway, moving on,
21:26
that's. Way too much, alright.
21:27
So let's go back a little ways and how it all started.
21:29
So back in the 40s and 50s, Glen Bell, a World War 2 veteran,
21:33
started with hot dogs and burgers in San Bernardino.
21:36
But notice the popularity of tacos at the nearby Milta Mitzla
21:39
Cafe. Hang on, how do you from hot
21:42
dogs and burgers to tacos? I know, right?
21:45
It's like my hot dogs and burgers are not selling, but
21:48
they're really selling a lot over there.
21:50
I should copy them exactly. So anyway, 1952 After learning
21:54
to make crispy tacos from the Mitla owners, Bell opened his
21:59
own Taco stand, Taco. Tia Taco.
22:01
Tia. Taco Tia.
22:03
Hey, that sounds like something. Else In 1962, Bell opened the
22:10
first official Taco Bell in Downey, CA, featuring a
22:13
distinctive mission style building and a menu of classic
22:16
affordable items. Yes, In 1964, the first
22:19
franchise opened in Torrance, CA, kicking off a it's rapid
22:23
growth. And by 1970, they went public
22:25
and they already had 325 restaurants, so. 325 restaurants
22:30
on his own. In the span of six years.
22:32
Yeah, that's crazy growth. Insane.
22:34
I mean, how do you first of all get the capital for that?
22:36
But that's right, crazy growth. That's a lot.
22:38
There's a lot of tacos, yeah. The introduction of the
22:41
Crunchwrap Supreme. Oh my God, that is my favorite
22:44
really. I love it, it's so good.
22:46
Came out in 20 O 5 Nacho fries. They're OK in 2018 and then
22:53
Doritos locos tacos they're pretty good in 2012.
22:57
Plus the development of advanced drive through system they.
22:59
Do have a speedy drive through? Do they?
23:01
Again, I am such a connoisseur, I don't go that often.
23:04
See, and now I don't even like order at the drive through.
23:06
I do everything in the app. So then you just go pick it up.
23:09
I call, I have the e-mail app and I go to the drive through.
23:11
I say my name and they write up. Here's your order.
23:13
That's pretty slick. Not yes.
23:16
Then of course, we come to what we're talking about now, 4th
23:19
meal. Did you know other fast food
23:22
chains also jumped into the late night dining or 4th meal genre
23:25
by expanding their operating hours, targeting the same late
23:28
night demographic with their existing menus, and in some
23:32
cases introducing specific late night menu items.
23:35
So, you know, it's funny, I do remember.
23:37
I'm I'm sure again, I don't read ahead.
23:39
I'm sure we're going to talk about it.
23:41
We might not, you know, I don't. You don't know 'cause you
23:43
didn't. Read.
23:43
I didn't read, but I do distinctly remember Wendy's in
23:46
their late night ads. It's in here, isn't it?
23:48
We talk about. OK, well.
23:50
Let's go forward. So rather than coining a new
23:56
catchy phrase like Taco Bell did, most competitors adapted
23:59
their operations to capture the the share of the growing market.
24:03
So, extended hours. McDonald's and Burger King, the
24:05
industry leaders at the time, decided to follow suit and
24:08
extend their hours, with many locations operating past
24:11
midnight or even 24 hours a day. This one this was a customer
24:16
driven decision to accom to accommodate people with 24/7
24:18
lifestyles. So I used to work with one of
24:20
the industry leaders, Burger King.
24:22
Yes, you did. Were you 24/7?
24:24
No, we were not slacker. Yeah, small town, right?
24:27
Anyway, including targeted marketing.
24:29
So McDonald's launched an ad campaign targeting
24:32
nocturnivores, or nighttime eaters with simple images of
24:36
their iconic items like French fries and messages such as The
24:40
Moon is Full. You should be, too.
24:42
Oh, I don't remember that. I don't remember that either.
24:44
Can. I do remember Oh the moon,
24:46
remember Mac tonight. Yeah, the song.
24:47
Played a piano? Yeah.
24:49
And there's a moon guy playing the piano.
24:50
It's Mac. It's not Mac tonight.
24:52
Oh wait. Yeah.
24:53
See, I just saw the light bulb. Remember that.
24:56
I wish you had a video of this. I literally saw the light bulb
24:59
above your head. I thought you were talking Mac
25:00
The Knife, the song. Mac the night.
25:03
Yeah, Big Mac. It was a Big Mac Bromo and the
25:05
Moon guy playing the piano. But it was the Mac the Knife
25:07
song. Got it.
25:08
But they changed the words to Big Mac.
25:10
Oh, that's so funny. Burger King also ensured a
25:13
significant percentage of its restaurants open until at least
25:16
midnight to remain competitive in the market.
25:18
And so lastly of of the big chain restaurants that Wendy's
25:21
did follow suit as well in in extending their hours.
25:24
OK, there you go. Some also created specialized
25:26
menu items, like jack-in-the-box.
25:28
They created Munchie Meals, a menu specifically designed for
25:31
the late night crowd, often humorously marketed to people
25:34
with late night munchies. I don't know.
25:36
Have you ever been to a jack-in-the-box?
25:38
I've been to one once. They're mainly, I think mainly
25:40
on the West Coast. I think so.
25:41
I think so, yeah. I mean, they're, yeah, they're
25:43
OK, OK. Well, that's a good nice plug.
25:46
OK, wait, excuse me. If you're going to pick a West
25:48
Coast burger place, it's got to be in an Out Burger.
25:51
It has to be, I mean. That's out.
25:52
You can't compare. Yeah, that's the only reason I
25:55
go to Arizona. No, it's not.
25:56
OK well besides to see my mom and with her.
25:58
Other than that, the only reason I go.
26:01
To Marianne, I still love you. Love you too, Mom.
26:04
I'm just kidding. It's just a bonus coming to see
26:05
you. Other chains like Denny's also
26:09
featured late night focused commercials and offerings.
26:12
Do you like Daddy's? No.
26:14
See, I don't think of Denny's as like a breakfast joint.
26:16
That's what I Me too. I only think of it as a
26:18
breakfast. You only go to Denny's for
26:19
breakfast. I.
26:20
Think it's only ever why. And to me again, Minnesota, not
26:23
Even so much Denny's, but Perkins.
26:24
Perkins as well. It's it's.
26:26
They have a full menu, they are open 24/7 but there too once you
26:30
go after the bar. What would you order?
26:31
Pie let. Me rephrase that after the bar,
26:36
what would I order? Pancakes.
26:39
No, yes. A burger.
26:41
Oh, God. Pancakes at 2:00 in the morning.
26:42
Oh, God. Yeah, so.
26:43
Good, you know, breakfast anytime is good.
26:45
Well, I know it is, but what did you have for dinner tonight?
26:47
I had breakfast. There you go.
26:48
Right? But a big butter boom.
26:51
That's funny. Yeah, essentially the 4th Meal
26:54
concept became an industry wide push to formalize and capture
26:57
the business of late night snacking, driven by customer
26:59
demand and the success of Taco Bell's initial marketing.
27:02
See it? All comes back to Taco Bell.
27:04
OK, so that was fun, Yeah. Learning a little bit more about
27:07
Taco Bell. It wasn't meant to be a Taco
27:10
Bell podcast, I don't believe, but that's kind of how it wound.
27:11
Up meant to be a fourth meal podcast and why we have 4th meal
27:15
at all, right? You know, thanks to Taco Bell,
27:17
right? Yeah, thanks to Taco Bell.
27:19
And honestly learned like a lot, but things that I didn't really
27:22
know. But fourth meal score.
27:25
And what's funny is that we still use that word 4th meal,
27:28
the term 4th meal for anytime I want something late night snack
27:32
all the time instead of saying hey do you want a late night
27:34
snack? No, no, you want 4th meal.
27:36
Absolutely. Who?
27:37
Doesn't want 4th meal, right, right.
27:38
Yeah. Hey everyone, as always, please
27:41
follow us on the socials at 011 More Thing Pod on Facebook and
27:44
Instagram for highlights and news of our upcoming shows.
27:47
And if you have any show ideas or just want to give us some
27:49
feedback, send us an e-mail at 011 More Thing pod@gmail.com.
27:53
We would love to hear from you. Plus, we do have merchandise,
27:55
T-shirts and caps. If you're interested, just shoot
27:57
us an e-mail. Yeah, do that please, please,
27:59
please 01 more thing Yes, Sir. No better when you get hungry
28:02
morning, noon, or even late night.
28:04
And if cooking is not your thing, there's always that place
28:06
you can get your snacks and your full meal deal, even if it gives
28:10
a gut rot. Party on, Wayne.
28:12
Party on Garth. Absolutely.
28:15
Bye everyone. Bye everyone.
28:17
So you DoorDash Taco Bell for us, right?
28:19
Absolutely.