‘We are cooked,’ cry fast food customers as Taco Bell phases out sit-down dining to make way for bigger drive-thrus
CUSTOMERS have grieved the loss of fast-casual restaurants, as many fast-food chains pivot to bigger and better drive-thru options.
Taco Bell has initiated a new effort to phase out sit-down dining by decreasing the size of its restaurants and improving its drive-thru experience.
In March 2024, multiple Taco Bell locations in Oakland closed their dining rooms due to a spike in crime.
With increasing concerns about safety coupled with the changing needs of consumers, Taco Bell decided to make its drive-thrus a priority.
“The franchise owner and operator has informed us that they are consistently evaluating and working to ensure a safe environment by implementing procedures, such as closing dining rooms, and hiring security guards, and they have taken extra measures to meet with local law enforcement,” Taco Bell said in a statement.
Taco Bell is only one in a long list of fast-casual restaurants making the same pivot including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and Wingstop.
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Fast food chains phasing out sit down dining
Some fast food chains are moving away from sit down dining and even implementing ghost kitchens.
Ghost kitchens are restaurants that don't offer dine-in services. Instead, they are built to take online orders.
Here are some examples:
- Taco Bell
- Burger King
- KFC
- Wingstop
- iHop
- Starbucks
FULL SPEED AHEAD
Taco Bell fanatics say they're not surprised that the chain is expanding its drive-thru option.
The majority of its customers prefer the drive-thru over Taco Bell's sit-down area.
"We are cooked," tweeted one fan. "Fast food places are literally closing down their dine in parts of their store and making everything drive thru only and order and pay thru the app."
"Honestly shocked to see that Taco Bell is taking time to prepare to move to drive-thru and delivery only," someone else wrote.
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"I had no idea people actually still ate INSIDE the building."
Many consumers joked that Taco Bell food tastes better when eaten in the parking lot of the drive-thru.
Some say they've never eaten at Taco Bell's sit-down area.
"I would never eat Taco Bell in public," wrote the X user.
"Only drive thru or delivery. Taco Bell is meant to be eaten in the shadows. Like I’m a starving wolf with rabies."
TIMES ARE CHANGING
Post-Covid, Taco Bell released a statement saying that the way consumers interact with restaurants has changed "enormously."
The fast food chain said they will be making some changes of their own to keep up with the evolving industry.
Since 2021, Taco Bell has tried out some creative new restaurant designs.
Later that year, the company also opened a fully digital store in Times Square, offering a self-guided experience with ordering kiosks and pickup cubbies.
But the most anticipated change was its four-lane mobile-integrated drive-thru where orders were sent from the kitchen through a food elevator.
When the company noticed consumers were searching for Taco Bell's drive-thru option more frequently, they decided to make the process as smooth as possible for customers.
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While Taco Bell attempts to provide a swift customer service experience, Walmart shoppers complain that wait times are at an all-time high.
iHop is also ongoing a rebranding effort, hoping to drive traffic back to the diner chain.