The world’s largest Mexican-inspired, quick-service-restaurant brand,Taco Bell has make a grand entrance on Shortland Street . This, their second New Zealand restaurant opened in the heart of the Auckland CBD, at noon on June 2.
Seven months since the brand opened its flagship restaurant in The Brickworks New Lynn, Auckland’s newest Taco Bell will serve up a modern dine-in or take-out experience for Kiwis eager to enjoy the Mexican-inspired menu, just a few hundred metres from the latest downtown food mecca, Commercial Bay.
The new restaurant features a high stud, hand-painted mural that showcases iconic Auckland City landmarks, with a Taco Bell twist. As well as self-serve kiosks available for easy ordering, local students and workers and other CBD visitors will be able to enjoy free wifi, charging stations and a digital jukebox to curate their own playlists.
Arif Khan, CEO of Restaurant Brands, which operates Taco Bell in New Zealand , says the company is excited to offer yet another new dining experience for fans of the restaurant chain in Auckland.
“COVID-19 has meant that our Taco Bell national roll out was temporarily slowed but we are pleased to be back opening restaurants and serving delicious tacos. The Shortland Street site will be one of the first new Taco Bell restaurants to open, globally for the brand, since COVID-19 arrived and we couldn’t be more excited for Kiwi fans,” he says.
“The Shortland Street restaurant will be the second restuarant on New Zealand shores and forms part of a wider roll-out of approximately 60 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand over the next five years, with more stores likely to open before Christmas.”
In the first month after launching at The Brickworks, the company claims Kiwis had consumed 18,000 Burritos and a whopping 40,000 Tacos, with the most popular item being the world renowned signature menu item, the Crunchy Taco.
The brand has also proved a hit with Restaurant Brands Shareholders when it was recently announced the brand delivered over $700k in sales in the first two months of operation in The Brickworks, New Lynn.
The new restaurant opens with extended hours of Wednesday – Saturday 10 am – midnight, and Sunday – Tuesday 10 am – 10 pm.
