Taco Bell's Early Retirement Community Sold Out in Minutes — Here's Why It Was So Popular Taco Bell generated significant buzz with The Cantinas, a unique San Diego early retirement community for its rewards members. When registration opened earlier this month, the demand was overwhelming.

By Carl Stoffers Edited by Jessica Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • Taco Bell's early retirement community, The Cantinas, generated significant interest, with all available memberships selling out in less than three minutes.
  • The Cantinas will feature a board of directors that includes popular influencers from the TikTok group Retirement House.
  • The Cantinas promises a blend of "next level culinary experiences" and "active living staples."

Last month, Taco Bell announced The Cantinas, a unique San Diego early retirement community for its rewards members billed as catering "to Gen Z's culture that values a slower, more relaxed pace of life."

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

When registration opened earlier this month, the demand was overwhelming, with all memberships selling out in less than three minutes. Taco Bell also announced that The Cantinas will feature a board of directors including members of the TikTok group Retirement House, known for parodying content houses filled with young creators, and influencers Joey Zauzig and Terri Joe.

Promising a "next level culinary experience" and "active living staples" such as Baja Blast and pickleballs, The Cantinas is open August 17-18, 2024. Its weekend membership is priced at $150 and includes shared overnight accommodations for the ticket holder and a guest. This membership offers complete access to amenities, recreation, dining, entertainment and more, with "afternoon naps encouraged."

Related: Taco Bell Unveils a Luxury 'Early Retirement Community' — Here's How to Claim Your Spot

The weekend will feature various activities, such as crochet classes, aerobics, arts and crafts and more, all designed to embody a fun and relaxed vibe. The Cantinas isn't the first time Taco Bell, ranked as the top franchise in Entrepreneur's 2024 Franchise 500, has created an immersive experience for its fans. In 2019, the chain transformed a hotel in the exclusive Palm Springs area into The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort. This weekend getaway, dubbed a "Tacoasis," offered everything from Taco Bell-embroidered waffle robes to taco-shaped sugar cookies on hotel pillows, along with an exclusive preview of the then-unreleased Toasted Cheddar Chalupa.

Read More: Nation's Restaurant News

Carl Stoffers

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Business Editor

Carl Stoffers is the Senior Business Editor at Entrepreneur, where he covers the franchise industry. Before joining Entrepreneur, he was Managing Editor at IPVM and held editorial roles at The New York Times Upfront, The Marshall Project, and the New York Daily News. He holds a Master's in Journalism from Columbia University.

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