News

Taco Bell to test restaurant re-dos centered on socializing, tech, games

Taco Bell is testing restaurant re-dos with an accent on socializing (Photo provided).

March 5, 2020

Taco Bell is going to test converting some of its locations into what the brand has dubbed "fast social" restaurants that use tech and other systems to make the locations places that embrace the social aspect of dining at the QSR, according to a press release. This initiative follows the brand's 2015 redesign program that has brought more than 60 "urban in-line" restaurants into the system nationally, including 30 dubbed "cantinas" that serve alcohol, a news release said.

Cantinas expanded the Mexican-American QSR's reach from mostly suburbia into city centers with restaurants that highlighted technology through inclusion of things like kiosks and digital menu boards. This phase of tests around "fast social" restaurant spaces centers more on building Taco Bell locations as places to meet and have fun.

"By tapping into cultural insights, we've learned that our customers want to engage with the brand in a way that amplifies their social nature," Taco Bell President and Global COO Mike Grams said in the press release. "We are once again pushing the boundaries of the traditional QSR dining experience by setting the stage for our 'fast-social' restaurants, which introduce dynamic dining rooms and lean into social gatherings."

The brand said these new restaurants will feature even more technology, including a Times Square location set to open this fall. Featured inside the Cantina location will be digital tools to smooth the ordering experience, the brand said, as well as technology that Taco Bell said "showcases digital moments throughout the restaurant like never before."

Another location in San Ramone, California that's set for the new concept renovation will focus customers' attention on gaming when it opens at the end of the third-quarter of this year. It will allow customers to compete in video game "showdowns" while enjoying menu items and drinks.

Finally, Taco Bell has also announced a test to convert its traditional restaurants into Cantinas, which the brand said it hopes will better use the "untapped potential in its existing dining rooms for creative ways to continue growing."

Three suburban locations are targeted for the test, and based on their performance, Taco Bell said it will decide whether to undertake more similar renovation across its 7,000-location system.