Taco Bell's new futuristic two-storey drive-thru opens today (PHOTOS)

Jun 7 2022, 6:51 pm

Futuristic indeed! The first-ever four-lane Taco Bell drive-thru has just opened in the US and it’s the ultimate contactless experience for customers.

Taco Bell Defy opened its doors to customers in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on June 7 and it’s the first of its kind with a two-story model that features a vertical lift to deliver Taco Bell menu items from the kitchen to drive-thru customers.

According to a release, the new restaurant also has digital check-in screens for mobile orders so customers can show their unique QR codes and a two-way audio and video technology service for customers to place their orders.

taco bell drive thru

Taco Bell

“Taco Bell Defy is an incredible innovation for our brand and one that’s meeting our consumers in a really unique way. For decades we’ve been committed to providing a fast, safe and friendly drive-thru experience; now with our bold goal of creating a two minute or less drive-thru experience for customers of this concept, Taco Bell Defy is the future,” said Mike Grams, Taco Bell President and Global COO.

“We’re thankful for our incredible 36-year partnership with Border Foods and feel like Taco Bell Defy is a culmination of years of success between our teams, along with the expertise of local partners like Vertical Works who helped make this possible.”

taco bell drive thru

Taco Bell

The drive-thru speed is so fast that it has outperformed the average national drive-thru speed in the US, according to the press release.

When customers place their orders, there are four lanes for them to grab their food.  For pre-orders via the Taco Bell app, customers can experience the skip-the-line service.

Delivery drivers from third-party apps can simply drive through and grab their needed order from one of the lanes. As for the traditional drive-thru experience, there’s a lane dedicated only to those wanting to place their orders through the restaurant.

taco bell drive thru

Taco Bell

“Taco Bell Defy embodies the innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of Minnesota businesses and franchisees,” said Lee Engler, co-founder and CEO of Border Foods.

“It is a creative, technological solution for a faster, contactless experience for as many Taco Bell fans as possible and is poised to be the future of quick-service dining.”

Though you can only experience this if you take a trip to the US, here in Canada Tim Hortons trailed a similar yet smaller concept with their drive-thru.

The new double conveyor drive-thru allows employees to send a guest’s order through the belt so two lanes of guests can receive their orders in the drive-thru from a receiving box. It was being trailed in Tecumseh, Ontario.

Back in 2020, Restaurant Brands International Inc., which represents Tim Hortons and Burger King announced more than 10,000 Burger King and Tim Hortons locations will be rolling out with new digital screens that can predict orders based on the weather, previous orders, time of day, and much more.

Here’s to the future of fast food technology!

Karen DoradeaKaren Doradea

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