Taco Bell Bets Big On Urban Market Success With Flagship's Grand Expansion

Slated for a 2019 opening, the 6,000 square foot Taco Bell location would take over a portion of the former El Portal Theatre which closed in the late 1970’s. The new Fremont Street restaurant will have an open-air design to it, similar to the flagship restaurant, perfect for guests who enjoy indoor-outdoor dining experiences. Image: Taco Bell Corp.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Two years since its grand opening on the Las Vegas Strip, Taco Bell's busiest location unveils their grand expansion plan. The brand, along with franchise partners Diversified Restaurant Group, have also announced that due to the immense success of the first Vegas Cantina, they will be opening a second Cantina location on historic Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas.

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With an additional 1,200 square feet, the flagship's expansion adds a brand-new second floor private space with Las Vegas Strip views, serviced by a new second floor bar capable of hosting larger weddings and additional special events. On the first floor, guests will find a larger interior dining area, retail space, and an expanded kitchen and back of house area. The newly renovated flagship restaurant will also feature state-of-the-art self-order kiosks, designed to ensure a seamless and customized customer ordering experience, all at the touch of a button. To celebrate the expansion, the company's flagship location will be giving away commemorative merchandise and a Doritos Locos Taco to the first 100 fans starting at 8pm on Tuesday, September 25.*

Since its opening in November of 2016, the flagship Cantina location has redefined the customer experience in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) space, including 24-hour service, DJ entertainment, VIP lounges, weddings, retail experience and a Freeze wall; all of which contributed to its success and desire to expand and meet increased consumer demands.

It's that consumer demand that leads to Taco Bell eyeing a second Cantina location in Las Vegas, this time on historic Fremont Street. Slated for a 2019 opening, the 6,000 square foot location would take over a portion of the former El Portal Theatre which closed in the late 1970's. The new Fremont Street restaurant will have an open-air design to it, similar to the flagship restaurant, perfect for guests who enjoy indoor-outdoor dining experiences. It also has a never-before-seen second floor entry, which guests will access via a lit-up escalator from the first-floor sidewalk. Upon entering, guests will be welcomed by the restaurant's open kitchen, a Cantina staple, which allows guests to see their customized menu items freshly prepared in-front of their eyes. Customers can then take their open-plated meals to any of the seats in the restaurant, either inside, or on the open-air patio. The restaurant follows the brand's goal to make sure each Cantina restaurant is designed in a unique way that represents the local community around it.

"We've seen what happens when Taco Bell Cantina meets Las Vegas, and we're excited to bring that experience to historic Fremont Street along with our fantastic franchise partners," said Amanda Clark, Head of North American Development. "Our continued growth in urban, high foot traffic destinations and downtowns are a big piece of the growth puzzle as we grow from 7,000 to 9,000 restaurants over the next four years."

Since launching the elevated urban experience in 2015, Taco Bell has opened nearly 30 restaurants in urban spaces, 17 Cantina and 13 Urban In-line restaurants, across the United States. The brand plans to continue their expansion into urban and downtown neighborhoods with the goal of opening nearly 50 more urban restaurants in 2019. These locations are part of the brand's plan to have 8,000 U.S. restaurants total by 2022, at least 300 of which will be urban concepts.

*Only good at 3717 S Las Vegas Blvd., Suite 140-a, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Limit one commemorative item and one taco per person, while supplies last. No substitutions, exchanges or cash equivalent will be provided.

SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.