News

Taco Bell 'goes to town' ... All. Night. Long.

July 13, 2016

This fall, Taco Bell Corp. will open a flagship 24-hour "cantina" location on the Las Vegas strip. And, despite the saying that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," the chain plans to take this concept across the nation in years to come.

In addition to round-the-clock operation, the Las Vegas cantina also boasts new décor and an open kitchen layout. It also features a menu that offers alcoholic beverages — including the chain's "twisted freezes" — and shareable items like rolled tacos, which will be offered during designated evening hours.

"Expansion into urban markets is a key focus for us, both this year and over the course of the next several years," Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol said  in a news release. "When we talked about where to establish a flagship store, it didn't take long to realize that having a presence in the heart of Vegas would undoubtedly create a unique, distinctive and fun destination and experience for Taco Bell fans." 
 
The idea behind cantina locations is to offer a little something different inthe chain's urban locations, which tend to be under-represented, the press release said. 

The next urban location for the chain will likely be in Atlanta, but other metro areas including New York and Boston are also under consideration, as well as  the state of Ohio and smaller cities such as Berkeley, California, and Fayetteville, Arkansas — both of which are university towns undergoing urban revitalization.

Taco Bell executives said they plan to open 200 of 2,000 new chain locations under the cantina concept by 2022.