Nobody was surprised when McDonald’s débuted its new spinoff, CosMc’s earlier this year – a beverage- and snack-focused mini-McD’s. But many were taken aback when Taco Bell sprang a new spinoff resto concept on us last week…
It’s called Live Más Café. And its founding location in the Greater San Diego area opened last week to little or no fanfare. If the name sounds familiar, it’s essence has already been been used to headline the Bell’s annual menu reveal, this past January. And it will also be used next month to banner the second annual unveiling. Which we assume will be headlined by the official launch of the new resto banner.
“We’re always looking for new ways to elevate the Taco Bell experience,” Taco Bell’s President, North America and International, Scott Mezvinsky said in a statement. “And the Live Más Café is the perfect example of that.”
In your face, McD’s…
The Live Más Café is clearly a swat-back at McD’s CosMc’s. The TB mini-location is described in glow-ing terms that add up to a picture of a Restaurant of the Future, incorporating more automation and AI and fewer human staff, in a smaller footprint, optimized for drive thru, delivery and pick-up.
In addition, like CosMc’s, it’s unabashedly identified as a beverage-driven concept with a streamlined menu. Specialty drinks such as chillers, agua frescas, and coffee drinks are featured. ‘Only a handful’ of the Bell’s classic menu items will be available.
“Live Más Café is a bold new chapter in our journey of innovation. […] This isn’t just a menu update message – it’s a movement. The new beverage platform will empower consumers to live bold and live beyond. And Taco Bell has allowed us to help write the book on this exciting new concept,” says S.G. Ellison, CEO of the Live Más chain’s operator Diversified Restaurant Group.
My take
We’re told that concepts such as the ‘little treats culture’ and ‘Newstalgia’ movements will rule the trends front in the Fast Food universe this coming year. But I beg to suggest the new mini-resto movement will offer a bunch more.
All players currently in the game are stressing their efforts are intended as live learning experiences for them. McDonald’s CosMc’s, Taco Bell’s Live Más Café, and KFC’s new Saucy! chicken tenders-focused pilot stores will all be tinkering, inroducing new ‘trends’ and concepts throughout the year… Among them:
Refining ornery technology
One of the main issues they’ll be addressing is the interface between humans and the mass of new technology they’re introducing to ‘elevate’ their respective ‘brand experiences’ for both customers and staff. Everyone but the brands themselves were amused, to one degree or another, when more than one Fast Food outfit had to walk back long-anticipated AI-enabled drive-thru ‘experiences’ this past year due to embarrassing defects or shortcomings.
It will be interesting to see where Fast Food AI implementation ends up by this time next year.
Fifty shades of… Lavender?
Another shocking similarity between the mini-resto competitors involves the colour schemes chosen for the new banners. Another major trend in Fast Food culture this coming year will the wholesale shift to a colour palette of fuchsia, lavender and blue shades. It’s a refreshing change from the varied, brighter, bolder colour schemes the parent restos are known for. And I can understand why they would want to clearly differentiate between the new mini-restos and the originals.
But I’m thinking the similarity in decor and packaging hues of the new chains may actually result in more confusion than it resolves!
~ Maggie J.