Taco Bell will open its first all-digital location in the United States in Times Square

Taco Bell will open its first digital-only American restaurant on Wednesday in New York’s Times Square.

To purchase a Crunchwrap Supreme or a soft heel, customers will need to place a digital order before their visit or use one of the 10 self-service kiosks within the restaurant. Kiosks can also be used to buy Taco Bell souvenirs. The location, inside the iconic Paramount building, also has a separate entrance for the collection of mobile phones and delivery orders from cubbies.

Simplified design is expected to prevent Yum Brands employees from being overwhelmed. Times Square is often one of the busiest tourist spots in the city, with an estimated 50 million visitors each year. Darden Restaurants ’Olive Garden restaurant in Times Square is the busiest in the chain, although it has been successful during the coronavirus pandemic, as are most restaurants that depend on tourist traffic.

Other restaurant chains, such as Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill, have also opened digital-only restaurants as they increase their online sales. The new design is designed to reduce the square meter and end long, sinuous lines during busy times. Taco Bell opened its first digital-only location last year, in the Wembley section of London.

Taco Bell’s decision to open an exclusively digital restaurant in the United States follows the success of its Cantina format, which wanted to help it deepen its urban footprint. He is testing the design in suburban markets.

Cantina restaurants are smaller and more modern and exclusive, with open kitchens and alcoholic drinks on the menu. Taco Bell has already opened more than 20 Canteens in New York’s five districts. The Times Square location includes all the typical features of a Canteen, except for the menu boards.