Taco Bell Defy will revolutionize the drive-thru experience

Taco Bell Defy, an innovative new Taco Bell restaurant design that will “defy norms and define the future,” is set to break ground in Brooklyn Park, Minn., later this year.

The 3,000-sf, two-story restaurant concept features a first-of-its-kind Vertical Works-licensed design with a footprint that will be smaller than or equal to existing store footprints but have the ability to serve more customers. The project will reimagine the traditional drive-thru experience to create a new, contactless pickup experience that will be the fastest way ever to get Taco Bell.

The new drive-thru experience will feature four lanes, three of which are dedicated to mobile or delivery order pickups for customers who order through the Taco Bell app and third-party delivery services. The three lanes will supplement one traditional lane to ease the flow of traffic and ensure the speedy experience.

Digital check-in screens will allow mobile order customers to scan in their order via a unique QR code. Customers can then pull forward to receive their food courtesy of a proprietary lift system that integrates two-way audio and video technology so customers can interact directly with the team members above in real time. This elevated kitchen design will optimize and streamline operations for the benefit of both team members and customers.

In addition to Vertical Works, Taco Bell Defy is also made possible by Border Foods, one of the largest privately held Taco Bell franchisees in America. Taco Bell Defy is slated to open to the public by summer 2022.

The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.