The Investor
13 Sep 2025, 10:07
Taco Bell, part of Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), is expanding its new Live Más Café concept, with 30 additional locations set to open by the end of 2025.
The cafés, first launched in December 2024, focus on premium, specialty beverages such as Refrescas, specialty coffees, and Churro Chillers. Each operates as a “shop-within-a-shop” inside Taco Bell restaurants, staffed by dedicated “Bellristas” who provide a more handcrafted, café-style experience.
The concept was inspired by the fast-growing U.S. nonalcoholic beverage market (valued at $169.5 billion in 2024, with specialty coffees making up more than 25%). Early results exceeded expectations: sales at the first Live Más Café were four times above forecasts within two weeks of opening.
By positioning beverages as a core attraction, not just an add-on to tacos and Crunchwraps, Taco Bell aims to broaden daypart usage, capture new traffic, and increase average check sizes. With early success in California and Texas, the concept is being positioned as a premium growth driver for the brand’s future.
The cafés, first launched in December 2024, focus on premium, specialty beverages such as Refrescas, specialty coffees, and Churro Chillers. Each operates as a “shop-within-a-shop” inside Taco Bell restaurants, staffed by dedicated “Bellristas” who provide a more handcrafted, café-style experience.
The concept was inspired by the fast-growing U.S. nonalcoholic beverage market (valued at $169.5 billion in 2024, with specialty coffees making up more than 25%). Early results exceeded expectations: sales at the first Live Más Café were four times above forecasts within two weeks of opening.
By positioning beverages as a core attraction, not just an add-on to tacos and Crunchwraps, Taco Bell aims to broaden daypart usage, capture new traffic, and increase average check sizes. With early success in California and Texas, the concept is being positioned as a premium growth driver for the brand’s future.
