Taco Bell Will No Longer Bolt Tables To The Floor At New “Upscale” Test Locations

Image courtesy of Taco Bell

Taco Bell is giving some of its restaurants a shiny new makeover, with a test of four different “upscale” design concepts. They might feature different decor but there are a few elements they’ll share, including larger tables that aren’t bolted to the floor so people can eat in bigger groups.

The four designs will debut in Orange County, CA this summer through existing restaurant remodels, with plans for a broader rollout later in the year, Taco Bell announced. The look of each test locations will vary depending on where they are, the company explains, with each one “built to reflect the vibrant communities in which they operate.”

New restaurants will feature things like sleek, modern seating, LED lights, exposed wooden beams, and trendy light fixtures instead of the flourescent and neon ambience that you may associate with Taco Bell.

According to the chain, “Heritage” style is “a modern interpretation of Taco Bell’s original Mission Revival style characterized by warm white walls with classic materials in the tile and heavy timbers”; “Modern Explorer is a “rustic modern style” that’s a “refined version” of Cantina Explorer restaurants; “California Sol” is all about the California lifestyle; and “Urban Edge” represents “an eclectic mix of international and street style done the Taco Bell way.”

The plan is part of Taco Bell’s goal to have 2,000 new restaurants by 2022, and also seems to be a move to get people to come in, sit down, and maybe come back for dinner instead of grabbing a burrito and going right back out the door.

As far as we can tell, the food will remain exactly the same as in any other Taco Bell, you’ll just be in fancier surroundings.

“We hope that we see a renewed interest in actually using it as a place to go out to dinner vs. picking up convenience and food to go home,” Deborah Brand, vice president of development and design at Taco Bell tells USA Today.

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