IRVINE, Calif. — Taco Bell is dropping the drive-thru and creating a new urban experience with the launch of its new restaurant concept, Taco Bell Cantina.
Taco Bell Cantina restaurants will be the first and only Taco Bell restaurants to serve alcohol and the menu will feature tapas-style shareable appetizers such as nachos and rolled tacos. The restaurant will also serve the full standard Taco Bell menu.
“These new urban restaurants are a critical part of our growth strategy in markets where people experience our brand differently,” said Brian Niccol, CEO, Taco Bell Corp. “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.”
The first location will open near Chicago’s Wicker Park on Sept. 22, with a second unit planned for San Francisco later this month.
