Taco Bell launches a cold brew lineup

Taco Bell is jumping into cold brew, today launching a permanent lineup at its Live Más Cafés across Southern California, Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas starting today. The lineup also includes new flavored cold foams — Purple Velvet Cream, a purple-hued horchata-inspired signature foam, alongside Caramel Dulce Cream and Vanilla Cream.

“We’ve spent decades building a bold flavor legacy at Taco Bell, and now we’re bringing that same innovative mindset to coffee at Live Más Café” Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews said in a statement. “As we continue to build the café experience, cold brew and cold foams felt like the natural next step — bringing a flavor-forward, premium coffee experience into fans’ everyday routines.”

These launches are part of Taco Bell’s broader objective of reaching $5 billion in beverage sales by 2030.

The cold brews are available in 16- and 20-ounce cups for $4.59 and $4.99, respectively. They are made with a proprietary blend of medium and dark roast Arabica beans sourced from Latin America.

To celebrate the launch, customers who purchase any medium cold brew at a Café on Saturday, May 30, starting at 7 a.m. will receive a limited-edition bandana, while supplies last.

Taco Bell debuted its Live Más Café concept in late 2024 and it has since grown to more than 30 locations with a goal of eventually rolling out systemwide. The concept exists within traditional Taco Bell restaurants and features specialty drinks served by “Bellristas,” alongside signature menu items. Following its debut at a restaurant outside of San Diego, the concept drove a 40% sales lift.

During parent company Yum Brands’ third quarter earnings call in November, CEO Chris Turner said the cafés are “one of the drivers of the long-term growth plan for Taco Bell.”

If its nationwide rollout goal comes to fruition, it will put Taco Bell in a strong position as the specialty beverage competition continues to intensify across the restaurant industry. Legacy quick-service chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s have all ramped up their innovations in the category, while Chick-fil-A recently launched a beverage-focused spinoff brand called Daybright.

This work comes as specialty beverage chains such as 7 Brew, HTeaO, Scooter’s Coffee, Dutch Bros, Gong Cha, Ziggi’s Coffee, PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, Swig, and Nékter Juice Bar and others have all experienced staggering growth in the past couple of years.

Meanwhile, Strawberry Cinnabon Delights will be available at Taco Bell systemwide starting today for a limited time.

The warm dough bites are coated in strawberry-flavored sugar and filled with Cinnabon cream cheese frosting. They are one of several treats expected to appear on the menu this year, as announced at the chain’s annual Live Más Live event in March in Los Angeles.