By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:55 EST, 24 February 2014 . Egg McMuffin, meet the Waffle Taco. Taco Bell is readying for the launch of its breakfast menu at all 5,500 locations on March 27, with items such as the A.M. Crunchwrap designed to appeal to its fan base of younger men. The addition of breakfast will be the largest menu expansion for Taco Bell in the chain's 50-year history. And the chain says breakfast will be available until 11am â€” a half hour longer than McDonald's offers its Egg McMuffins. 'We can turn the breakfast conversation into a two horse race,' Taco Bell president Brian Niccol said in an interview, noting that Taco Bell intends to be a 'strong No. 2' after McDonald's. Scroll down for full menu . Waffle Tacos for breakfast: Taco Bell will start serving breakfast at all 5,500 U.S. locations starting March 27 . McDonald's has long been the fast-food leader in the mornings, with its popular Sausage Biscuits, Hotcakes and other items pulling in roughly 20 per cent of the company's U.S. sales. But the chain has been facing stiffer competition in recent years, with competitors such as Starbucks and Subway rolling out breakfast sandwiches as well. It's not clear how Taco Bell's entry into breakfast will alter the fast-food landscape. Last year, an executive with Taco Bell's parent company Yum Brands said that breakfast accounted for about 4 per cent of sales in locations where it was tested. But that was before the chain put its full marketing might behind the menu, he noted. McDonald's, which has more than 14,000 U.S. locations, has also said it plans to step up its marketing of breakfast this year as it faces intensifying competition. The president of McDonald's USA, Jeff Stratton, said that the chain is in the early stages of looking at whether it can extend its breakfast hours. Stratton noted that cutting off breakfast . on the weekends at 10:30am 'doesn't go very well' with people in their . 20s and 30s in particular. Still, figuring out how to serve both . breakfast and lunch poses an operational challenge given the limited . kitchen space in restaurants. Watch your back Egg McMuffin: The chain is expanding to breakfast in order to compete with McDonald's . In the meantime, Kevin Newell, U.S. brand and strategy officer for McDonald's, seemed unfazed in an interview late last week by Taco Bell's plans to start serving breakfast. 'I think they're going to find that going into the breakfast business is not like what they're accustomed to, in terms of marketing,' Newell said. The addition of breakfast is a major undertaking that requires training existing workers, hiring more staff to cover morning shifts and buying new equipment. Taco Bell, for instance, is bringing in new equipment to its nearly 6,000 U.S. locations to start serving coffee for the first time. To keep operations simple at the start, Niccol said the chain will start with drip coffee before expanding to specialty coffees such as lattes. Check out the full menu: . Waffle Taco: A sausage patty and scrambled eggs wrapped in a warm waffle with syrup on the side . Nutritional info: 460 calories, 270 calories from fat, 6 g saturated fat, 30 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 11 g sugars, 11 g protein . Cinnabon Delights 12 Pack: Warm Cinnabon bite-sized pastries filled with frosting and dusted with cinnamon sugar . Nutritional info: 770 calories, 390 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 44 g total fat, 1.5 g trans fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 85 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 48 g sugars, 8 g protein . A.M. Crunchwrap Bacon: Eggs, bacon, cheese and a hashbrown wrapped in a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 650 calories, 360 calories from fat, 12 g saturated fat, 40 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 1260 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars, 22 g protein . A.M. Crunchwrap Sausage: Eggs, sausage, cheese and a hashbrown wrapped in a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 690 calories, 410 calories from fat, 14 g saturated fat, 46 g total gat, 0 g trans fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 1250 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars, 21 g protein . Steak & Egg Burrito: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and grilled marinated stead rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 450 calories, 210 calories from fat, 9 g saturated fat, 23 g total fat, 0.5 g trans fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 960 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 24 g protein . Bacon & Egg Burrito: Bacon, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 490 calories, 250 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 28 g total gat, 0 g trans fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 1070 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 23 g protein . Sausage & Egg Burrito: Sausage crumbles, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 480 calories, 250 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 28 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 205 mg cholesterol, 940 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 20 g protein . Bacon A.M. Griller: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon folded into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 230 calories, 130 calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 14 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugars, 12 g protein . Sausage A.M. Griller: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and sausage crumbles folded into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 220 calories, 130 calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 14 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugars, 9 g protein .
The fast-food chain will begin selling breakfast at all 5,500 U.S. locations starting March 27 .
Menu items include the Waffle Taco, a bacon Crunchwrap and several breakfast burritos .
Breakfast will be served until 11am - a full half hour longer than McDonald's .
By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:55 EST, 24 February 2014 . Egg McMuffin, meet the Waffle Taco. Taco Bell is readying for the launch of its breakfast menu at all 5,500 locations on March 27, with items such as the A.M. Crunchwrap designed to appeal to its fan base of younger men. The addition of breakfast will be the largest menu expansion for Taco Bell in the chain's 50-year history. And the chain says breakfast will be available until 11am â€” a half hour longer than McDonald's offers its Egg McMuffins. 'We can turn the breakfast conversation into a two horse race,' Taco Bell president Brian Niccol said in an interview, noting that Taco Bell intends to be a 'strong No. 2' after McDonald's. Scroll down for full menu . Waffle Tacos for breakfast: Taco Bell will start serving breakfast at all 5,500 U.S. locations starting March 27 . McDonald's has long been the fast-food leader in the mornings, with its popular Sausage Biscuits, Hotcakes and other items pulling in roughly 20 per cent of the company's U.S. sales. But the chain has been facing stiffer competition in recent years, with competitors such as Starbucks and Subway rolling out breakfast sandwiches as well. It's not clear how Taco Bell's entry into breakfast will alter the fast-food landscape. Last year, an executive with Taco Bell's parent company Yum Brands said that breakfast accounted for about 4 per cent of sales in locations where it was tested. But that was before the chain put its full marketing might behind the menu, he noted. McDonald's, which has more than 14,000 U.S. locations, has also said it plans to step up its marketing of breakfast this year as it faces intensifying competition. The president of McDonald's USA, Jeff Stratton, said that the chain is in the early stages of looking at whether it can extend its breakfast hours. Stratton noted that cutting off breakfast . on the weekends at 10:30am 'doesn't go very well' with people in their . 20s and 30s in particular. Still, figuring out how to serve both . breakfast and lunch poses an operational challenge given the limited . kitchen space in restaurants. Watch your back Egg McMuffin: The chain is expanding to breakfast in order to compete with McDonald's . In the meantime, Kevin Newell, U.S. brand and strategy officer for McDonald's, seemed unfazed in an interview late last week by Taco Bell's plans to start serving breakfast. 'I think they're going to find that going into the breakfast business is not like what they're accustomed to, in terms of marketing,' Newell said. The addition of breakfast is a major undertaking that requires training existing workers, hiring more staff to cover morning shifts and buying new equipment. Taco Bell, for instance, is bringing in new equipment to its nearly 6,000 U.S. locations to start serving coffee for the first time. To keep operations simple at the start, Niccol said the chain will start with drip coffee before expanding to specialty coffees such as lattes. Check out the full menu: . Waffle Taco: A sausage patty and scrambled eggs wrapped in a warm waffle with syrup on the side . Nutritional info: 460 calories, 270 calories from fat, 6 g saturated fat, 30 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 11 g sugars, 11 g protein . Cinnabon Delights 12 Pack: Warm Cinnabon bite-sized pastries filled with frosting and dusted with cinnamon sugar . Nutritional info: 770 calories, 390 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 44 g total fat, 1.5 g trans fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 85 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 48 g sugars, 8 g protein . A.M. Crunchwrap Bacon: Eggs, bacon, cheese and a hashbrown wrapped in a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 650 calories, 360 calories from fat, 12 g saturated fat, 40 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 1260 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars, 22 g protein . A.M. Crunchwrap Sausage: Eggs, sausage, cheese and a hashbrown wrapped in a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 690 calories, 410 calories from fat, 14 g saturated fat, 46 g total gat, 0 g trans fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 1250 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugars, 21 g protein . Steak & Egg Burrito: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and grilled marinated stead rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 450 calories, 210 calories from fat, 9 g saturated fat, 23 g total fat, 0.5 g trans fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 960 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 24 g protein . Bacon & Egg Burrito: Bacon, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 490 calories, 250 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 28 g total gat, 0 g trans fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 1070 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 23 g protein . Sausage & Egg Burrito: Sausage crumbles, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese rolled up into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 480 calories, 250 calories from fat, 11 g saturated fat, 28 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 205 mg cholesterol, 940 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 20 g protein . Bacon A.M. Griller: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon folded into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 230 calories, 130 calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 14 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugars, 12 g protein . Sausage A.M. Griller: Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and sausage crumbles folded into a flour tortilla . Nutritional info: 220 calories, 130 calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 14 g total fat, 0 g trans fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugars, 9 g protein .
chain says breakfast will be available until 11am â€” a half hour longer than McDonald's offers its serving breakfast at all 5,500 U.S. locations starting March 27 . McDonald's has long been the full menu: . Waffle Taco: A sausage patty and