Taco Bell Is Testing a Coffeehouse-Style Concept With Cold Brew and Agua Fresca — But Only in These Locations The Live Más Café provides customers with an elevated experience and menu.
By Carl Stoffers Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Taco Bell is testing the Live Más Café concept at select locations.
- The concept combines Taco Bell's signature menu items with coffeehouse-style beverages, including flavored iced coffees, cold brews and agua frescas.
- This move aligns with Taco Bell’s strategy to provide a dining experience that encourages customers to relax and connect.
Taco Bell is making a significant move to reinvent its dining experience with the introduction of the Live Más Café, a concept that merges its iconic menu with coffeehouse-style beverages and a contemporary atmosphere. Taco Bell is piloting the Live Más Café concept at select locations in Southern California and Las Vegas and plans to evaluate expansion based on customer feedback, according to Nation's Restaurant News (NRN).
The concept is designed to provide customers with an elevated experience that goes beyond traditional quick-service expectations. Each Live Más Café features modern interiors with comfortable seating and interactive digital displays. Alongside Taco Bell's signature menu items, these locations offer specialty coffee drinks, including cold brews and flavored iced coffees.
Highlights of the menu include specialty beverages such as Mexican Chocolate and Spiced Vanilla Chillers — blended iced coffees topped with cold foam — and Aguas Refrescas in flavors like Strawberry Passionfruit and Dragonfruit Berry. The café also features cold brew options and unique takes on iced coffee, such as the Mexican Mocha and Cinnabon Caramel Iced Coffee.
"The Live Más Café represents Taco Bell's commitment to innovation and to giving our fans new and exciting ways to enjoy their favorites," says Taco Bell chief marketing officer Taylor Montgomery, according to NRN. "We're excited to bring a fresh perspective to the quick-service space by combining delicious food with premium beverages in a setting that's perfect for relaxing or connecting with friends."
Related: See Who Made This Year's Franchise 500 Hall of Fame
For the concept run of Live Más Café, Taco Bell partnered with one of its largest franchisees, Diversified Restaurant Group, which has a significant presence in California and Nevada.
Taco Bell's expansion into beverage-focused dining follows a growing trend in the quick-service industry to broaden offerings and appeal to consumers seeking both quality and convenience. By introducing coffeehouse-style beverages, the brand positions itself as a competitor to established coffee chains while maintaining its core identity as a destination for fun, affordable food.
Related: Greg Flynn Owns 1,245 Restaurants and Makes $2 Billion A Year. Here's How He Did It.
For franchise operators, Live Más Café provides a blueprint for how Taco Bell continues to evolve to meet consumer demands. If successful, this model could inspire similar innovations across the industry, proving that quick-service restaurants can effectively blend speed, quality and a memorable experience.
As Taco Bell evaluates the success of its pilot locations, it remains clear that the Live Más Café is a bold experiment in redefining what quick-service dining can be. With its focus on innovation and customer experience, Taco Bell is once again setting itself apart in the competitive fast-food landscape.
Read More: Nation's Restaurant News
