Business
Taco Bell tries to woo younger customers with Live Más Café’s flashy beverages
IRVINE, Calif. — Taco Bell is going all in on beverages, starting with its Live Más Café concept.
The Yum Brands chain unveiled the drink-focused store format last December, with the first location in Chula Vista, California. Ten months later came the second location, near the University of California, Irvine campus. By the end of the year, Taco Bell is projecting that it will have 30 Live Más Cafés in its portfolio, across Southern California, Dallas and Houston.
Unlike McDonald’s now-defunct CosMc’s spinoff, which had its own standalone locations, the Live Más Café lives inside existing Taco Bell restaurants. Customers order at kiosks and can watch the “bellristas” assemble their drinks from behind the designated counter, which takes prime real estate in the store. The drink menu includes a range of beverage options, from blended coffees to lemonade-based drinks.
The beverage-focused concept is supposed to help the Mexican-inspired chain reach its goal of generating a $5 billion drink business by 2030. Taco Bell first disclosed that target in March at an investor day, where the chain shared more about its plans to keep growing as it fuels Yum’s operating profit growth.
So far this year, Taco Bell has sold more than 600 million beverages, up 16% from the year-ago period, according to the company. More than 60% of the chain’s orders this year have included a drink, Taco Bell said.
“I think drinks are big right now because I think people are really craving unique, interesting flavors in their beverages, and we hear that all the time from our consumers,” said Liz Matthews, global chief food innovation officer for Taco Bell.
Center stage
Taco Bell’s Live Más Café.
Courtesy: Taco Bell
Stepping inside the Irvine location, the Live Más Café beverage station is the clear star.
Most of the self-order kiosks are positioned in front of the station’s long counter. Customers have a free view of the “bellristas” making their specialty drinks, unlike the restaurant’s other employees who assemble Crunchwrap Supremes and Chalupas hidden from sight.
Digital menu boards across the restaurant highlight the beverage offerings. The drink menu spans four distinct categories: churro chillers, specialty coffees, refrescas and “bellrista favorites.”
The churro chillers are creamy and cold milkshakes topped with churro chunks. The specialty coffees come either hot, iced or blended as a “chiller.” Brightly colored refrescas use either lemonade, green tea or Rockstar energy drinks as the base for their fruity flavors, such as strawberry passionfruit or mango peach. And the “bellrista favorites” include seasonal options, such as the autumnal caramel apple empanada churro chiller, which incorporates blended chunks of Taco Bell’s apple empanada.
When crafting the menu, Matthews and her team tried to stick to the chain’s Mexican-inspired roots, but she said Taco Bell will always have a “playful spirit.”
And while the Live Más Café offers plenty of options with a variety of flavors, Taco Bell kept the options to customize minimal.
“What we found when we talked to consumers, they actually really want us to curate their drink for them,” Matthews said.
To date, the Irvine location’s top-selling drinks are the Mexican Chocolate Churro Chiller, the Dirty Mountain Dew Baja Blast Dream Soda and the Mango Peach Agua Refresca. Six of the top 10 bestselling drinks at the location are chillers. That’s a reversal from the initial test location in Chula Vista, which has seen similar demand for every drink category, according to Matthews.
Since its opening day in September, the Irvine location has been selling more than 900 drinks per day, according to Taco Bell. More than a third of orders include an item from the Live Más Café menu.
Meanwhile, the Chula Vista location — which exceeded its initial sales forecast by four times — is selling more than 750 beverages a day nearly a year since its opening, the company said. A quarter of all transactions include a Live Más Café beverage, according to Taco Bell.
“Given what we’re seeing right now from the business results, the payback looks really attractive and in line with what our franchisees would expect for something big, but we’ve got a lot more to learn,” said Taylor Montgomery, global chief brand officer of Taco Bell.
‘Little treat’
This year, the hottest trend in fast food hasn’t been a chicken sandwich or plant-based burgers. Instead, beverages of all consistencies, colors and nutritional values have taken the spotlight.
For example, Shake Shack is selling lemonade with mini raspberry popping boba, inspired by the success of bubble tea. Panera Bread is testing frescas and energy refreshers in select bakery-cafés. Chick-fil-A is planning to open Daybright — a beverage-focused restaurant with specialty coffees, smoothies and cold-pressed juices — in Hiram, Georgia, later this year. And although McDonald’s this summer wound down its spin-off called CosMc’s that focused on drinks and snacks, it also tested new coffee drinks, refreshers and flavored sodas at more than 500 U.S. restaurants.
The number of beverages sold by the top 500 chains has climbed more than 9% in the last year, according to Technomic. The swell of beverage innovation follows the speedy expansion of a number of a specialty drink chains, from upstart 7 Brew Coffee to dirty-soda inventor Swig.
“[Quick-service chains] have seen that there’s a big opportunity with an entire generation and how they’re interested in that ‘little treat’ culture,” said Claire Conaghan, “trendologist” at Datassential, which tracks menu trends. “There’s options to kind of go beyond their focus area of core meal and really lean into that snacking moment.”
Generation Z and millennials are driving the trend, according to Varchasvi Singh, a foodservice analyst for Mintel. Younger generations enjoy customizing their food and beverage orders.
“Among younger consumers, in particular, we see that fast-food dining is just as much about experimentation and novelty as it is about indulgence,” Singh said. “They’re a lot more open to trying premium menu items and personalizing their orders, whereas older generations, who have associated fast food with extreme affordability for a long time, are a little bit more critical of how expensive it has become for them.”
For Taco Bell, turning to beverages and creating the Live Más Café is part of its broader plan to appeal to younger consumers, whose spending power is projected to increase rapidly in just a few years.
“Over the past five years, we’ve really, really been transitioning and thinking about the brand and how to position it for Gen Z, and so Café was really born from that,” Montgomery said. “I think it’s something like 60% of Gen Z consumers come to a restaurant or [quick-service restaurant] for an afternoon treat.”
Rather than creating a standalone Live Más Café, Taco Bell chose to put the sub-brand inside existing restaurants in part because of “humility,” according to Montgomery.
“Today, we’re not known to be a beverage destination — yet,” he told CNBC.
Live Más Café can also help Taco Bell more broadly.
“It also acts a little bit as a test market where they can get some more real-time data. Which combos do people do the most?” Conaghan said. “Which customizations matter the most? Do we need every type of alternative milk or maybe just these one or two? Do we need all 15 flavors of whatever energy refresher?”
That’s already started happening. Taco Bell’s agua frescas, which began as a Live Más Café menu line, have since been launched nationwide.
“They’re one of our top-selling items, and we didn’t wait to scale the Café,” Montgomery said. “We pushed those in all the restaurants, and we’ve seen success there.”
Plus, the coffee options on the café’s menu are part of Taco Bell’s plan to make a bigger push into breakfast. The chain started serving the morning meal more than a decade ago but told franchisees last year that they could opt out serving breakfast; for some fast-food operators, opening early isn’t profitable, plus there’s the added headache of finding staff willing to work the morning shift.
Taco Bell has already had some success with another sub-brand. Its Cantina format, typically found in cities, features a custom menu, alcoholic beverages and seating meant to encourage customers to linger. Since opening the first location in Chicago a decade ago, Taco Bell Cantina has grown to dozens of restaurants.
Broadly, even as inflation-weary consumers pull back their spending, Taco Bell’s focus on new menu items has lifted its sales; earlier this year, the company announced plans to double innovation in 2025. Taco Bell’s prices have climbed 75.5% since 2019, according to Technomic’s Ignite Menu. Still, customers keep coming back.
In recent years, Taco Bell has been the gem of Yum’s portfolio, typically outperforming both Wall Street’s expectations and its sister chains, KFC and Pizza Hut. Executives have named the chain as one of the company’s primary growth engines. In the second quarter, while many fast-food rivals reported shrinking sales, Taco Bell reported same-store sales growth of 4%.
“From a portfolio standpoint, we represent a pretty significant amount of Yum’s operating profit, but we learn a lot from other brands, too,” Montgomery said.
Yum is expected to report its third-quarter earnings before the bell on Nov 4.
Watch the video to learn more about why Taco Bell is betting on drinks.
Business
Delay in FSSAI finalising front of pack labelling rules unusual by its own norm – The Times of India
While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has claimed in the Supreme Court that the framing of front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) regulations would take longer and sought more time, a look at several regulations framed by the authority in the last ten years shows that the average time taken to frame one or make amendments to existing ones has been about two years. In the case of the FOPL, the process has been dragging on for about a decade.After framing guidelines in 2014 which included front-of-pack labelling specifying how much fat, sugar or salt a packaged food contained, when the FSSAI put it in the public domain in 2015, it had stated that the guidelines would be “converted into regulation in due course after following the process of inviting suggestions and comments, suggestions etc. from various stakeholders”. FSSAI put out the draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 in public domain in April 2018. However, since then there have been half a dozen stakeholder consultations and more drafts put out, but no regulation in sight yet.In response to a public interest petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to FSSAI to make FOPL regarding high fat, sugar and salt mandatory for packaged foods, the court has been monitoring the process even as the authority has been seeking repeated extensions. In its latest affidavit in court, the FSSAI laid out a long process before the Supreme Court.It told the court that it is “contemplating” a tabular or pictorial representation to reflect high fat sugar or salt on front of pack labelling. It stated that it is a complex matter “requiring further consultation and examination” and hence stakeholder consultation is proposed before deciding on the modalities of FOPL. The latest stakeholder consultation had over 60 food industry and industry association representatives and just two public health experts representing civil society or public health interest.There remain several steps:1. After stakeholder consultations a draft amendment will be prepared2. Draft amendment will be placed before scientific panel (consist of nine eminent food scientists from different government organizations/institutions). Scientific committee comprising of chairpersons of the 21 scientific panels and six independent members, FSSAI and Health ministry “for due consideration”3. To include amendment in the regulation a draft regulation including the proposed amendment/s is placed before the scientific panel concerned4.Recommendations of the scientific panel will be placed before the scientific committee5. On endorsement of the scientific committee it will be placed before FSSAI for approval and if there are substantial changes in the notified draft regulation, another draft regulation will have to be notified6. Once approved by FSSAI, the draft or final regulation is sent to health ministry7. After ministry approval, if it is a draft regulation, it has to be notified in the gazette for public comments giving 60 days’ time and the entire process spelt out above is repeated before it is finally notified.8. In case what the health ministry approves is the final regulation, it has to be sent to the legislative department of the law ministry for vetting followed by approval of the health ministry. The approved final regulation is published in the Gazette of India for implementation.In short, the FSSAI stated in court that the regulation is far from becoming a reality any time soon. However, the longest time FSSAI has taken for framing any of the existing regulations or amendments has been over three years. The only other regulation that the FSSAI has not framed even after seven years is the Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified and Engineered Foods) Regulations which have been in the works since 2019.Average time to bring in various regulations/amendments to regulations
| New regulations | Draft notified in the gazette | Put in public domain for feedback from stakeholders | Date of gazette notification | Gap between draft and final notification |
| Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016. | Jul 30, 2015 | Sep 11, 2015 | Dec 23, 2016 | 17 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 | Sep 5, 2016 | Sep 9, 2016 | Mar 19, 2018 | 18 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 | Dec 23, 2016 | Jan 3, 2017 | Aug 2, 2018 | 19 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 | Jun 19, 2017 | Jun 22, 2017 | Dec 29, 2017 | 6 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 | Mar 13, 2018 | Mar 23, 2018 | Nov 19, 2018 | 8 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 | Mar 19, 2018 | Apr 2, 2018 | Dec 24, 2018 | 9 months |
| Regulation amendments | ||||
| Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) First Amendment Regulations, 2024 | Aug 20, 2020 | Aug 26, 2020 | Oct 17, 2024 | 26 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) First Amendment Regulations, 2025. | May 17, 2022 | May 24, 2022 | Mar 28, 2025 | 34 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2024. | May 25, 2022 | May 31, 2022 | Oct 21, 2024 | 29 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2025 | Oct 31, 2022 | Nov 3, 2022 | Jul 10, 2025 | 32 months |
| Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) first Amendment Regulations, 2024 | Apr 27, 2023 | Apr 28, 2023 | Oct 17, 2024 | 18 months |
UK inflation held steady at 3% in February before the impact of an energy shock linked to war in the Middle East, official figures have revealed.
Economists have said data showing flatlining inflation highlights “the calm before the storm”, with inflation expected to accelerate again in the coming months.
The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation was unchanged from the level reported in January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
It was in line with predictions from economists.
However, the steady picture for inflation does not yet reflect the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on the cost of living, with the first attacks taking place at the very end of February.
Oil and gas prices have jumped in recent weeks due to the conflict and other goods prices could also be affected by disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Economists said inflation could lift as high as 4% in the third quarter of 2026 due to the projected surge in energy costs.
ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said: “After last month’s slowdown, annual inflation was unchanged in February as various price movements offset each other.
“The largest upwards driver was the price of clothing, which rose this month but fell a year ago.
“This was offset by falls in petrol costs, with prices collected before the start of the conflict in the Middle East and subsequent rise in crude oil prices.”
The February data showed clothing and footwear prices contributed to inflation, with prices up 0.9% for the month – its highest level since March 2025 – after previously staying flat in January.
However, this upward impact on inflation was cooling inflation in other areas.
Inflation across the services sector eased slightly to 4.3% for the month, dipping to its lowest level for almost four years.
Slower alcohol and tobacco price rises were also a drag on inflation, easing to 3.6% for the month – the lowest since February 2022.
The slowdown was driven by falling inflation for the prices of beers, wines and spirits over the month.
Elsewhere, motor fuel inflation also eased back, with the average price of petrol falling by 1.6p per litre between January and February.
However, petrol and diesel prices have risen significantly since the latest data after the price of crude oil jumped due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Economists said on Wednesday that inflation is now set to accelerate over the coming months as the impact of the conflict feeds into the price of goods.
Stuart Morrison, research manager at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “For businesses across the UK, today’s inflation data represents the calm before the storm.
“UK firms are particularly exposed to the economic impact of the crisis in the Middle East as our electricity prices are tightly tethered to global gas prices.
“This will feed directly into higher costs and renewed inflationary pressure in the months to come.”
Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at Aberdeen, said: “Today’s inflation report is little more than a relic of the world before the Iran conflict.
“While the February report was broadly in line with expectations, and confirms that inflation was on a path back to 2%, the outlook for inflation has radically changed.”
Experts also indicated previous expectations that interest rates would be cut further this year have been scuppered, with many predicting the Bank of England will continue to hold them at 3.75% in an effort to diminish further price rises.
Matt Swannell, chief economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, said: “With the growth outlook weak, unemployment high and rising, and policy already restrictive, we think a prolonged hold for bank rate is the most likely outcome.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “In an uncertain world we have the right economic plan, taking a responsive and responsible approach to supporting working people in the national interest.
“We’re taking £150 off energy bills and providing targeted support for those facing higher heating oil costs.
“We’re also acting to protect people from unfair price rises if they occur, bring down food prices at the till, and cut red tape to boost long-term energy security – building a stronger, more secure economy.”
Prices of gold and silver witnessed a significant increase in both the global market and Pakistan’s local bullion market, reflecting continued volatility in precious metals.
According to market data, the price of one tola of gold surged by Rs15,200, reaching Rs479,262, while the rate for 10 grams of gold increased by Rs13,031 to settle at Rs410,889.
In the international market, gold prices also recorded a substantial rise, climbing by $152 to reach $4,565 per ounce, indicating strong global demand and investor interest in safe-haven assets.
Meanwhile, silver prices followed a similar upward trend, with one tola increasing by Rs370 to reach Rs7,824 in the local market.
Market analysts attribute the rise in prices to ongoing global economic uncertainties and increased demand for precious metals as a hedge against inflation and currency fluctuations.
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Delay in FSSAI finalising front of pack labelling rules unusual by its own norm – The Times of India
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