Taco Bell's New Store Design Doubles Down on Drive-Thru

Taco Bell is rolling out a new store design that combines digital innovation with a people-first approach. Taco Bell Go Mobile  

The brand will open its first Taco Bell Go Mobile restaurant in Q1'21 and will feature five main updates targeted for digital adoption to improve the customer experience:

• Smaller Footprint: Taco Bell Go Mobile locations house several new digital advancements, all within 1,325 square feet, smaller than the average 2,500-square-foot Taco Bell restaurant.
• Dual Drive-Thru: The new concepts will have two drive-thru lanes including a new priority pick-up lane for customers who order via the Taco Bell app. This new lane will supplement the existing, traditional lane.
• Synchronized Digital Experience: Powered by smart kitchen technology that's integrated with the Taco Bell app, Taco Bell Go Mobile restaurants will detect when guests have arrived at the restaurant and suggest the quickest route for a seamless pick-up experience.
• Curbside Pick-Up: Taco Bell Go Mobile customers also have the option to receive their order via contactless curbside pick-up, another convenient alternative that modern consumers are looking for.
• Bellhops: To streamline guests' experiences even further, Taco Bell Go Mobile will also include tablet ordering in drive-thrus and curbside pickup, both of which will be operated by a concierge service of team members, known as "bellhops."

"With demand for our drive-thru at an all-time high, we know adapting to meet our consumers rapidly changing needs has never been more important," said Taco Bell President, Global COO, Mike Grams. "The Taco Bell Go Mobile restaurant concept is not only an evolved physical footprint, but a completely synchronized digital experience centered around streamlining guest access points. For the first time, our guests will have the ability to choose the pick-up experience that best fits their needs, all while never leaving the comfort of their cars."

The Need for Speed

While the first Taco Bell Go Mobile restaurant is still a few months away from opening, the brand has already begun incorporating some of its new features in existing restaurants. In addition to enhancing restaurants, Taco Bell continues to improve on other aspects of the QSR experience that customers are looking for right now, like speed. The brand has shared that the average time spent in a drive-thru has been reduced by more than 15 seconds since the first quarter of 2020. Taco Bell has also recently rolled out other digital innovation outside of the restaurant experience. The Taco Bell mobile app's new beta loyalty program gives fans a deeper level of customization in both what they're ordering, and now how they're ordering. Taco Bell's focus on improving drive-thru service and encouraging guests to order ahead unlocks a faster and more accurate restaurant experience.

Through the pandemic and beyond, Taco Bell will continue to introduce new ways to modernize the customer experience.