Taco Booze? Taco Bell To Serve Alcohol At New Chicago Location [Video]
Would you like to order booze with your tacos? Taco Bell is testing the waters with a new location in Chicago, Illinois. According to the Daily News, the booze-friendly restaurant will be opening this summer with alcoholic versions of existing Taco Bell beverages.
Taco Bell restaurants in Spain, Japan, and South Korea already offer the option to buy alcoholic beverages; for the Wicker Park store, it will become the first Taco Bell within the United States to make booze available to the American public.
Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum! Brands, is hoping to bring a more upscale, modern look to the restaurant. Taco Bell spokesman Alec Boyle says that there are plans to feature work from Chicago area artists in the new store. The plan is to serve beer, wine, and mixed alcohol freezes to a more “urban” market. The Taco Bell location is expected to boast brick walls and seating that’s more reminiscent of a hip bar than a fast food restaurant.
Booze Más: Taco Bell Confirms Plans To Sell Alcohol At First U.S. Store In Chicago http://t.co/NykAJKTcRL pic.twitter.com/B9r9m2PRJS
— Chicagoist.com (@Chicagoist) June 4, 2015
The move away from a traditional fast food look isn’t a mere coincidence. Millennials do not share the love affair that older generations had with fast food restaurants. There is a greater demand for healthier options and no artificial ingredients.
Rival McDonald’s is certainly feeling the disdain of the younger generation. The fast food chain has been in a slump, as it struggles to woo wary millennials. Meanwhile, Taco Bell has responded to the generational shift in taste by moving to drop all artificial flavors and colors from the menu by the end of 2015. The move to introduce booze might also help the chain gain traction in a big way.
A Taco Bell restaurant that is opening in Chicago plans to serve booze along with the tacos http://t.co/wUor51ymyi pic.twitter.com/8LuC8hjC9G
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 4, 2015
Eater reported that the Chicago store applied for a liquor license recently. While this Taco Bell will offer a variety of booze for customers, it may be some time before members of the public can enjoy a “cold one” at a different location. It’s possible the project may not go over well with Americans and the whole project could be a bust. Or, it’s possible that Taco Bell will nix any idea of major expansion.
As for what Taco Bell’s booze-related plans are, mum’s the word for now. Taco Bell representative Ashley Sioson declined to comment on upcoming drink options. She also emphasized that there were no current plans to introduce alcoholic options outside of the upcoming Chicago store.
Would you buy booze from Taco Bell if they added the option nationwide?
[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
