You want a glass of wine with that Taco Bell chalupa?
It’s now possible. As part of an urban-themed redesign, certain Taco Bell concept restaurants have begun serving alcohol.
The new look of Taco Bell Cantina.
The overall redesign program has a goal of “simplifying and modernizing” urban-based Taco Bells, including the new alcohol menu, eliminated drive-throughs, open kitchens and increased technology.
The company calls the concept Taco Bell Cantina. The first of these two restaurants opened this month in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago; the second will open in San Francisco.
The San Francisco restaurant will serve beer and wine only, however. The Chicago Taco Bell Cantina will serve beer, wine and sangria, plus drinks such as the Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Cantina Punch and Cantina Margarita freezes. These can be spiked with 1 oz. of Captain Morgan white rum or Ketel One vodka for about $6 plus tax, or with Don Julio tequila about $7 plus tax.
The Cantina restaurants will also feature a new tapas-style menu of shareable appetizers—including nachos and rolled tacos—during designated hours each evening, in addition to the full standard Taco Bell menu.
“Today’s consumers are living in more urban settings and our new restaurants cater to their lifestyle in adapting our traditional restaurant concept to fit their modern needs,” said Brian Niccol, CEO of Taco Bell Corp., which is owned by Yum Brands, in a press release.
As part of Taco Bell’s overall growth plan, the brand is on track to add 2,000 stores to its portfolio by 2022. Expansion plans for additional urban markets are currently being evaluated, as Taco Bell is striving to build or remodel around 600 restaurants per year.
