Taco Bell Cantina coming
Restaurant amenities will include liquor, Wi-Fi
Taco Bell says downtown Phoenix will be the site for one of its upscale Cantina restaurants, where you can enjoy a margarita with your meal.
If you’ve always wanted to enjoy a beer or margarita with your Taco Bell, you’re in luck.
The fast-food chain has confirmed to
The Republic that a Taco Bell Cantina is planned for downtown Phoenix.
The restaurant is under construction and is expected to open early next year. A liquor license application has been filed with Maricopa County, indicating the cantina plans to serve alcohol.
According to the Arizona Department of Liquor website, the Taco Bell Cantina is coming to the Collier Center, 201 E. Washington St.
The nearly 600,000-square-foot, mixed-use high-rise is near Chase Field, Talking Stick Arena and Phoenix Convention Center.
Other restaurant tenants at Collier Center include Hard Rock Cafe, The Park Street Food Bar and The Whining Pig. Taco Bell Cantina will open on the first floor.
The Cantina concept is part of Taco Bell’s strategy to bring elevated dining experiences to urban areas. To achieve this, the company introduced two new models: Taco Bell Cantina and Urban InLine restaurants.
The first Cantina debuted in 2015 in Chicago. Since then, it has spread to more than 17 locations all over the country, including several in New York City, Austin, Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Two years ago, a two-story Taco Bell Cantina opened on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Mexican fast-food chain, which is owned by Yum Brands, also has opened at least 13 Urban In-Line restaurants.
All of these more upscale restaurants are smaller than the fast-food chain’s traditional restaurants and do not have drive-through services. Besides serving alcohol, other common elements include:
❚ Open kitchen design.
❚ Shareable tapas-style menus.
❚ Free Wi-Fi.
❚ Outlets for charging devices.
❚ Modern interior inspired by the community.
❚ Local art.
Taco Bell is not the only popular chain getting into the bar business in the Valley.
In October, IHOP debuted its first beer, wine and cocktail menu — and it’s only available at the restaurant’s new Phoenix location at Camelback Colonnade.
IHOP’s Rise & Shine bar menu includes domestic beers on tap, California wines and brunch-inspired cocktails. The bar also pours a local craft beer.