Over the past few months, Taco Bell has prided itself in launching increasingly odd menu items to attract a fanbase mostly composed of younger people on a budget looking for a quick and very cheap meal - now, taking a cue from fast casual dining giant Chipotle, Taco Bell's beer program comes to light, as the chain plans to launch new Cantinas.
In an attempt to bring back Millennial patrons, who have been increasingly favoring chains like Chipotle and Shake Shack and dropping fast food, Taco Bell's beer strategy begins its first trial in the next few weeks, in the cities of Chicago and San Francisco.
According to USA Today, Taco Bell's beer offer at their new Cantinas will also include wine, sangria and spiked frozen drinks, as it looks to gain more relevance in urban markets, starting first in a new restaurant venue in Chicago and later on the California city.
As Reuters reports, the Chicago venue serving Taco Bell beer will be located on the Wicker Part neighborhood, an increasingly "hipster" one in the city, testing the first-ever Cantina, while the San Francisco Cantina will only be serving wine and beer.
According to Us Weekly, the Taco Bell with beer options will be an upscale version of the fast food chain, featuring no drive-thrus and with open-design kitchens "with food in baskets for customers to see the ingredients," taking a cue from Chipotle's way of doing things.
The new Taco Bell Cantina model will also include a mobile ordering and payment app as well as television monitors and even digital menu boards, as the chain tries hard to launch a more polished version of their brand.
"These new urban restaurants are a critical part of our growth strategy in markets where people experience our brand differently," said Taco Bell Corp CEO Brian Niccol in a statement. "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 Taco Bell beer-serving Cantina will be launched on September 22.
