Taco Bell opens its first digital location in the US in Times Square

Taco Bell’s new Times Square location

Source: Taco Bell

Taco Bell opens its first digital restaurant in the US on New York’s Times Square on Wednesday.

To purchase a Crunchwrap Supreme or soft taco, customers must place a digital order prior to their visit or use one of the 10 self-order kiosks in the restaurant. The kiosks can also be used to buy Taco Bell souvenirs. The location, in the iconic Paramount building, also has a separate entrance for mobile pickup and card box delivery orders.

The simplified design is expected to prevent employees of the Yum Brands chain from becoming overwhelmed. Times Square is usually one of the city’s busiest tourist spots, with an estimated 50 million visitors per year. Darden Restaurants’ Olive Garden restaurant in Times Square is the chain’s busiest, although it took a hit during the coronavirus pandemic, like most eateries that rely on tourist traffic.

Other restaurant chains, such as Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill, have also opened digital-only restaurants as their online sales soar. The new design aims to reduce square footage and eliminate long, squiggly lines during busy times. Taco Bell opened its first digital location last year, in the Wembley area of ​​London.

Taco Bell’s decision to open a digital-only restaurant in the United States follows the success of the Cantina format, which was intended to deepen its urban footprint. It tests the design in suburban markets.

Cantina restaurants are smaller and more modern and upscale, with show kitchens and alcohol on the menu. Taco Bell has already opened more than 20 cantinas in New York’s five boroughs. The Times Square location contains all the typical features of a Cantina, except menu boards.

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