Of course, the folks behind the Chihuahua would love to change that equation—and it seems like they’ve had some success with the “Cantina Bell” rebranding project and its celebrity chef spokesperson, Lorena Garcia. The goal of this exercise was clearly to compete with Chipotle Mexican Grill, which is something of a “cult favorite” despite being a big-money national chain once owned by McDonald’s.

Well, it worked–According to the YouGov Brand Index, Taco Bell’s quality perception among consumers rose throughout the summer after it debuted the Cantina brand—and its scores are now closer to those of its nemesis. The success of the Cantina project even inspired venture capitalist David Einhorn to warn investors about buying shares of Chipotle—and the company’s stock value quickly dropped in response.

continued…

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The issue? A story first broken by the New Jersey Star-Ledger revealed that the chain has adopted a computer program that rounds customers’ bills up or down to the nickel. Spokespeople claim that the practice helps save time wasted by counting worthless pennies, but some diners are seeing red.

While the literal pennies involved in each transaction don’t amount to much, they do build over time–and the practice may rub against certain rules established by Consumer Affairs that require retailers to be very clear about how much they’re charging and why. continued…

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