Taco Bell launching "upscale" mexican restaurant

Mook

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Taco Bell is launching a new upscale taco chain.

The restaurant, called U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom, will feature a menu of 10 premium tacos, thick-cut fries, milkshakes, craft beer, and wine, according to Nation's Restaurant News, an industry publication.

The first location is set to open in Huntington Beach, Calif., this summer. Taco Bell declined to elaborate on expansion plans.

Here are some of the menu items, according to NRN.
  • Winner Winner: Southern-style fried chicken breast with South of the Border gravy, roasted corn, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and cilantro in a flour tortilla.
  • One-Percenter: Lobster, garlic butter, red cabbage slaw, and pico de gallo on crispy fry bread.
  • Brotherly Love: Carne asada steak, grilled peppers and onions, roasted poblano queso, and cotija cheese in a flour tortilla.

The side of fries comes with dipping sauces including "ghost chile ketchup" and "roasted poblano crema." One of the beer-spiked milkshakes on the menu, called the "Mexican Car Bomb," has vanilla ice cream, tequila caramel sauce, chocolate flakes, and Guinness.

Tacos will be priced at about $4 each, and the average check size is expected to be roughly $12 with a drink.

Customers won't be able to customize their tacos like at Chipotle, but they will be able to watch their food being made.

"Most dishes will be prepared in-house, in glass-enclosed kitchens that allow guests to see meat grilling or tacos in the works — though a few ingredients will come from outside suppliers, like the Texas smoked brisket or Southern pulled pork," NRN reports.

The new concept is meant to attract a demographic of higher-income edgy foodies who would never step foot inside a Taco Bell.

"We could spend time and money trying to get these people interested in Taco Bell," but they would probably never become regular customers, Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed told Ad Age. "We thought, maybe there's a new brand we can create to address this opportunity."

Read more: Taco Bell Launches Upscale Mexican Chain - Business Insider
 

IceCreamAssassin

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radioguy6

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U.S. Taco Co is kind of a boring name, but may work. California is always the guinea pig but I'd be in to try it. If they want to thrive and retain the target demographic, they have to serve authentic fresh tasting Mexican food with absolutely no reminder of Taco Bell. Good to see Taco Bell understands their demographic though, and it seems they have a good approach here. Cant argue the last statement by the CEO.
 

Mike K

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On a side note, if none of you have had Del Taco you're missing out. It's the southwest's Taco Bell competition and it is like magic in your mouth. Much finer ground beef, an assload of finely ground cheese on each taco and cheap as shit. It's a dollar per taco.

Group trip to California.
 
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