Taco Bell Opens Digital-Only Cantina In Times Square

Yum! Brands’ YUM Taco Bell is opening its first U.S. digital-only location in the middle of New York City’s Times Square.

What Happened: The new Taco Bell Cantina opens today within the historic Paramount Building and will provide visitors with 10 kiosks that enable self-ordering. The location has a separate double-door entrance for customers picking up meals they ordered ahead of time via the Taco Bell app.

Taco Bell has also introduced a new menu item exclusive to this location: The Bell Apple Freeze, a Green Apple Freeze swirled with a sweet cherry apple flavor. For those seeking a more invigorating beverage, the Cantina is also offering alcohol selections for customers ages 21 and over.

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Why This Matters: The Times Square outpost is Taco Bell’s 80th location in New York City. The chain has more than 200 in the greater New York metro area and plans to build another 25 in the region this year. According to the company, the focus on this region accounts for roughly 10% of Taco Bell’s overall development mix

The Times Square location will offer on-premise seating for customers to leisurely enjoy their meals. In an interview with the financial trade journal PYMNTS, Taco Bell President and Global Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the chain was eager to merge the convenience of digital ordering with the traditional pleasure of indoor dining.

“There are two critical elements that will work together harmoniously across our Taco Bell brand,” said Grams. “It’s the idea of merging technology and mobile convenience with the human connection we all crave — especially when many of our fans are digitally native to begin with. By staying flexible in our restaurant formats and features, we’ll be able to continue creating unique environments and experiences for any customer.”

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(Photo courtesy Taco Bell)