Article
Will Taco Bell's four redesigns refresh the brand?
Taco Bell announces new looks that emphasize community, environment and urban life.
May 17, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
Taco Bell announced today that it is pressing the refresh button in a big way with four designs for updating its restaurants in the coming months to reflect the communities they serve. The designs are part of a wider expansion plan for the brand, which calls for opening 2,000 locations in the next six years.
"While all four restaurant designs each have a different contextual personality, they all share a commonality in expressing Taco Bell's brand like never before," said Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer Marisa Thalberg."From the open kitchen that showcases our freshly prepared foods, to the community tables designed for friends to hang out, each of these formats fosters a modern, unique experience."
The greater Los Angeles area — Orange County — will be the launch pad for the four new looks this summer when existing restaurants there are remodeled. A broader roll-out takes place later in 2016, including a new Taco Bell Cantina concept designed especially for under-served urban locations around the nation.
Thalberg said each concept will reflect the personality of the community in which it serves and includes:
- Heritage: A modern interpretation of Taco Bell's original Mission Revival style with warm white walls, tile and chunky timbers.
- Modern Explorer: A rustic, modern take on the brand's cantina restaurants that will work particularly well in either suburban or rural communities since this style echoes the farms that provide the ingredients in Taco Bell's menu items.
- California Sol: A celebration of the chain's California roots, this design capitalizes on the concept of outdoor rooms and living with its embrace of the joys of al fresco dining and nearby beaches.
- Urban Edge: An amalgam of international and street style featuring lots of urban design elements.
"It's no longer one-size-fits all," said Taco Bell Vice President of Development and Design Deborah Brand. "Consumers are looking for a localized, customized and personalized experiences that reflect the diversity of their communities — the flexibility in bringing these four designs to life gives us just that."
Green design important to new looks, too
Aside from strong community connection, the new restaurant designs were also made with an emphasis on green design to cut each location's overall environmental footprint. That was accomplished through a variety of features, like LED lighting and energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment.
Additionally, in drought-stricken California, all locations will use wood reclaimed from California ports and, where possible, new restaurants will be constructed with more sustainable landscapes with features like solar panel drive-thru canopies and systems for reclaiming water for irrigation.
Moving into under-served communities
Another aspect of this overall redesign and expansion is an emphasis on putting stores in more under-represented communities in urban areas. In fact, a press release said that 200 of the 2,000 restaurants to be built by 2022, will be in urban locations.
Last year Taco Bell opened two urban "Cantina" restaurants in San Francisco and Chicago. These differ from other restaurants in the chain by featuring specially designed décor, localized artwork, an open kitchen layout, open plating and shareable menus. Additionally, a press release said that these locations may also serve beer, wine, sangria and twisted freezes, containing alcohol.
Executives at the chain said the next urban development will likely be Atlanta, but they are also looking at major metropolitan areas around New York, Boston and even in the state of Ohio. Likewise, some smaller cities with big pushes to revitalize their downtown areas, like Berkeley, Austin and Fayetteville, are also being considered.
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
