Chef Lawrence of Chilte Selected for Inaugural Taco Bell Chef Program

Taco Bell’s iconic Crunchwrap Supreme is getting remixed by Phoenix’s very own chef Lawrence Smith of nationally recognized Downtown Phoenix restaurant, Chilte. Smith was one of three chefs who were selected to be part of the inaugural program called TBX, which was launched by Taco Bell to support emerging culinary talent across the country.

As part of the program, which was announced earlier this year, the Chopped alum joined James Beard Award nominee Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin of San Antonio and Reuben Asaram of Philadelphia to re-imagine the Crunchwrap.

“Meeting the Taco Bell team, feeling their passion and seeing their drive to do cool stuff with genuine intent is very refreshing,” Smith says. “The other chefs are rockstars and it’s a ‘Baja Blast’ to have met them and bounce ideas as we share in the journey of remixing the Crunchwrap Supreme.”

The classic menu item was first introduced to the Taco Bell menu in 2005 and has since become one of the brand’s top-selling dishes as well as one of the most widely re-created Taco Bell items. Each of the chefs had an opportunity to put their own spin on the dish, and Taco Bell enthusiasts will even be able to try the final remixed Crunchwrap Supreme for themselves at select Taco Bell locations later this year.

Smith, whose experimental, Mexican-inspired eatery was recognized last year by both Bon Appétit and Esquire, was selected for the program based on his creativity and longtime love of Taco Bell. Locally, he’s become known for his unconventional path to become a chef, which began with a career in football and brief period in the NFL.

After building his culinary expertise at FOUNDE:RE Phoenix Hotel, Ghost Ranch and Tempe Public Market, he opened Chilte as a farmers market taco stand. In 2022, he opened Chilte’s current space inside the Egyptian Motor Hotel and the restaurant quickly became a local favorite.

“Translating my love story and the soul of the Southwest through Mexican food is who I am at Chilte,” Smith says. “But this collaboration is going to be such a fun opportunity to show the nostalgia of growing up with Taco Bell and the fun of an off-the-cuff street riff that Chilte has been known to do.”