Marketing
Why fast casual is 'Partying like its 1995'
California Tortilla and Noodles and Co are embracing throwback pricing promotions as part of a broader trend of brands using nostalgia to engage with customers and drive traffic.
October 1, 2025 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
Let's take a trip back to 1995. If you needed to talk to a friend, you had to call their house phone and talk to their mom. The biggest fashion trend involved baggy jeans and super thin eyebrows. (Mine have never recovered)
"Netflix and chill" did not exist. Watching a movie meant spending 30 minutes at Blockbuster looking for a VHS tape that wasn't already rented out, and the only food you could have delivered was pizza or Chinese.
Things were simpler, weren't they?
Well, two fast casual chains are taking us on a nostalgic trip back to those glory days, celebrating their 30-year anniversaries by offering throwback prices on some of their most popular menu items.
California Tortilla, a Maryland-based chain known for its unique Mexican-style fare, offered $5 burritos and bowls on June 18, and Colorado-based Noodles & Co is launching a similar promotion this month when it offers select classic dishes for $4.95 each.
The effectiveness of Nostalgia
The chains are just two of many companies realizing that nostalgia is resonating with customers of all generations. A study by consulting firm Kantar found 52% of 12- to 29-year-old consumers prefer classic brands, and 81% of those young consumers said they liked it when brands brought back products and trends from their childhood.
"Nostalgia is an interpretation of the past, not a reliving of the past," said Casey Ferrell, SVP and Head of U.S. and Canada MONITOR, the consumer insights division of global consulting firm Kantar.
It only works to drive drive sales when it combines something new along with the old
"It has to say something about the future, while it is bringing back the past," Ferrell said.
California Tortilla CMO Stacey Kane, agreed, noting that the $5 items meant more to customers than a typical discount.
"We saw almost a 50% increase in comp traffic that day," she said in an interview with FastCasual. "Beyond the discount we held a CalTort Memories Contest that invited guests to look back on their own CalTort stories — first dates, family traditions, late-night burrito runs — and relive the personal experiences that made the restaurant part of their lives."
Noodles & Co President and CEO Joe Christina, said the company's campaign will honor the "flavors and moments that made us who we are while looking ahead to a future filled with craveable classics and bold new twists."
Both companies launched in 1995, and their throwback pricing promotions are part of a broader trend of brands using nostalgia to engage with customers and drive traffic.
McDonald's, which brought back its snack wraps on July 10, said visits were up 15%, compared to the year-to-date average, with visits on July 11 increasing 22.3% compared to the year-to-date average. The burger brand has gone all in with its nostalgic marketing, celebrating Grimace's birthday and offering branded Happy Meals, McNugget Buddies and collector cups. It also launched a throwback web portal to hype the return.
Taco Bell is hoping for similar results with the recent launch of Y2K menu items, all priced at $3 or less. The limited-edition menu features the Caramel Apple Empanada, Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, 7-Layer Burrito, Double Decker Taco and Chili Cheese Burrito.
"No one did the 2000s like Taco Bell. That era gave us some of our most iconic menu items, including the Crunchwrap Supreme, which remains one of our best-sellers two decades later," Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery said in a company press release. "Fans have never stopped asking for these items, and honestly, we've missed them too. But Decades Y2K isn't just about the menu. It's about reliving the flavors, the fashion, and the fun that made that moment in time unforgettable – and letting our fans be the first to live it all over again."
Taco Bell has also created the Crunchkin, a digital pet that allows Rewards Members users to care for and feed. As they play, the pet grows, evolving with qualifying Decades Y2K Menu purchases, giving customers access to exclusive in-app mini-games, bonus point challenges and earning Taco Bell Rewards.
While it's too early to see if Taco Bell's Y2K campaign is attracting the same traffic increases as McDonald's, it's certainly inspired me to visit more frequently. I've already had a few Chili Cheese Burritos, my college staple.
Now, let's work on bringing back those thin eyebrows.
About Cherryh Cansler
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