Year: 2012
Chaos: Mitigated by the 15,000 extra workers
New Yorker/New York Times coverage: The Times is on it: Looks Like a Taco, Tastes Like a Chip
The Doritos Locos Taco was so successful it essentially fueled Taco Bell's turnaround when it launched in 2012.
The chain sold more than a billion Doritos Locos Tacos in the first year, hiring an estimated 15,000 workers to keep up with demand.
"The idea sounds really simple, but it has to deliver on two fronts: the classic Taco Bell taste and the distinctive Doritos experience," Taco Bell product developer Steven Gomez told Business Insider. "Unlike a tortilla chip, taco shells can't break, and have to properly hold the taco ingredients."