Find out which beer pairs best with a Gordita Crunch.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: If you’re in Chicago this summer and have ever wondered which wine or beer pairs best with a Doritos-flavored Cheesy Gordita Crunch, prepare to launch a campaign of shock and awe against your taste buds.
The Associated Press confirmed Taco Bell will be serving beer, wine, and “mixed alcohol freezes” at its new Chicago location at Wicker Park.
Along with the alcohol, Taco Bell will also be rolling out a new restaurant design that it’s already testing in foreign markets. The interior, similar to designs launched at Taco Bells in Tokyo, Seoul, and the U.K., will feature exposed brick walls, murals, communal tables with wooden stools and pops of accent colors such as bright purple and teal, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The new aesthetic is the latest attempt by Taco Bell to shed its fast-food image and appeal to millennials, who marketers say prefer places and products that seem less cookie-cutter and more “authentic,” reported the AP.
The company recently pledged to eliminate artificial colors and flavors, trans-fat and high-fructose corn syrup from about 95 percent of its menu in the U.S. by the end of the year, albeit co-branded products, such as the Doritos range of offerings, will be exempt.
Taco Bell falls under the umbrella of Yum! Brands Inc., which also operates Pizza Hut and KFC. Per Bloomberg Business, there are about 6,000 Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S. and about 250 abroad.
A representative for Taco Bell informed the AP that while the Wicker Park store will be the first in the U.S. to serve alcohol, there are no current plans to expand the sale of alcohol to other domestic locations. The company already serves alcohol in Japan, South Korea, and Spain.