News

QSR Taco Bell goes 'big time' in Big Apple with local brew, 3 cantinas

December 19, 2018

Taco Bell said that by the end of this year it will have three of its Cantina restaurants up and running in Manhattan, including locations at the recently opened 840 Eighth Avenue and 224 Seventh Avenue stores, as well as a soon-to-open 500 Eighth Avenue store, a news release said. The brand has also joined with New York's Blue Point Brewing Company to launch Big City Bell Pilsner, in all three locations in the next few months. 

The brand considers its Cantina entry into the Big Apple to be a pivotal event as it has historically focused its development efforts in suburban areas with drive-thru concepts. But, New York and other major metros like Chicago and Los Angeles are now opening the brand's Cantina and Urban In-line style restaurants including 19 Cantinas and 16 Urban In-Line concepts nationwide in the past three years. 

Earlier this year, Taco Bell opened three Urban In-Line and three Cantina in the boroughs of New York, while 10 more urban concepts opened nationwide this year. 

It's all cause to celebrate for the Yum-parented brand, which has its corporate offices in the suburban L.A. city of Irvine. Perhaps that's why the QSR is launching another major metro-local beer in New York City, with the Big City Bell Pilsner. They debuted their first local brew in the Los Angeles area, at the Newport Beach Cantina in California. 

This time the brand teamed up with New York's Blue Point Brewing Company to create a pilsner that uses a blend of hops for lime and citrus fruit aroma, designed to pair well Taco Bell's Mexican-inspired flavors.

The New York Cantina restaurants cater to the residents fast-paced lifestyle with mobile ordering, self-service kiosks and the brand's delivery partnership with Grubhub-owned, Seamless.

"The research we've done in New York tells us that our fans want an experience that parallels their lifestyle - fast and at their fingertips. We now give our guests five ways to order, spanning from at home, on-the-go, or in restaurant," Taco Bell General Manager of North America and Global COO Mike Grams, said in the release. 
The 500 8th Experience:

As an example, the release said that the 500 Eighth Avenue store features street-side digital window displays and ordering via mobile or Seamless apps, online, self-service kiosks or at the register. To accommodate the big city crowd, the locations features more order touchpoints than any other Taco Bell, including six kiosks and three registers.

The unit will feature a new Cantina Nachos menu, including $5.59 boxes with either Chicken Enchilada, Fiesta Taco Salad or Steak & Cheddar Nachos. The restaurant will also be home to a new Seven-Layer Dip and  new Frozen Mule and Party Punch freeze flavors, to which 21-and-over guests can add alcohol.

The Cantina features a custom mural wall by New York City artist Greg Lamarch, a retail section and an exclusive T-Shirt designed by the artist. Guests can even play deejay by using their cell phone to choose the music. The new local beer will sell for $6 at the restaurants in coming months.