Taco Bell experiments with alcohol

NEW YORK— Yo quiero a glass of wine and tapas?

Taco Bell will open a location that serves wine, beer, sangria and frozen mixed drinks in Chicago next week, marking the first time the chain will serve alcohol in the United States. The new restaurant will also feature a variety of trends the chain says it is seeing among millennials: a menu of “tapas-style” appetizers, a mural by a local artist and an open kitchen.

A similar location will open in San Francisco later this month, according to Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc. Aside from the alcohol and group appetizers, the menu and food preparation will be the same as regular locations. Plans for the Chicago location were announced earlier this summer, but an exact opening date and other details weren’t disclosed at the time. It is just the latest evidence that traditional fast-food chains are trying to revamp their images to be more in line with changing expectations.

In addition to beer ($4 U.S.), wine ($4) and sangria ($4.50), the new Taco Bell location in the Chicago’s hipster Wicker Park neighbourhood will offer “Twisted Freezes” or frozen drinks that have rum, tequila or vodka mixed in. The latter will come in Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Cantina Punch and Cantina Margarita varieties, and cost between $6.19 and $7.19.

The San Francisco restaurant will have beer and wine, but no sangria or mixed drinks. Taco Bell says it will be by the city’s AT&T park and feature a patio and window where people can pick up orders.