Taco Bell, in partnership with Diversified Restaurant Group, one of its largest franchisees, has developed a beverage concept called Live Más Café, according to an email sent to Restaurant Dive.
The cafe offers chillers, agua frescas and specialty coffees alongside Taco Bell’s traditional menu. Located in Chula Vista, California, the cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Other chains have been leaning into beverage innovation as a way to appeal to Gen Z consumers who prefer sweet drinks. McDonald’s opened its first CosMc’s, a beverage-oriented spinoff, in the Chicago area late 2023 and has since expanded it into Texas. Jollibee added a premium beverage menu earlier this month, and Sonic updated its beverage menu over the summer.
Menu innovation has been particularly successful at Taco Bell. During the second quarter, same-store sales were up 5%, driven by the chain’s value perception and various new menu items like the Nacho Fries and Big Cheez It limited time offers and its Cantina Chicken menu. This sales momentum continued into the third quarter.
Diversified Restaurant Group, which has over 330 units, has also been remodeling locations and leaning into new formats. In January, it opened an all-digital location in Kansas City and developed a Go Mobile unit that uses two drive-thru lanes to reduce delivery pickup times. It also added electric vehicle charging stations to 120 locations starting in 2022.
Check out more features of the Live Más Café below.
