--- title: "Latest Updates On Taco Bell And Coronavirus (COVID-19)" url: https://burnaze.com/article/4bc70680-a3e4-49fc-bc03-0d2c82126303 source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20200319_latest_updates_on_taco_bell_and_coronavirus_covid1.html category: "Mexican" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Mexican" published: 2020-03-19T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:34:15.710Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Latest Updates On Taco Bell And Coronavirus (COVID-19) **TL;DR:** Taco Bell is taking measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including operating through drive-thru only and increasing cleaning and sanitizing protocols. The company is also amending its sick policy to pay employees who are required to stay home or work at a closed restaurant. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2020-03-19. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20200319_latest_updates_on_taco_bell_and_coronavirus_covid1.html).* ## Story **Taco Bell COVID-19 Update - MARCH 17** As the situation across the U.S. continues to evolve, Taco Bell is outlining its latest measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. **Restaurant Operations** Because COVID-19 is impacting communities in different ways, restaurant operations need to be equally as fluid and diverse. Where government mandates are in place, restaurants are required to follow those instructions. If carry out operations are permitted, guests may order on ta.co, in the app, or in the restaurant and take their food to-go. As of March 15, all traditional company restaurants began operating through the drive-thru only. Urban in-line and non-drive thru restaurants are operating carry-out only. At this time, Taco Bell restaurants are also evaluating business hours and operations based on many different factors. For instance, some Taco Bell restaurants will stop serving breakfast beginning Wednesday, March 18, for the time being and open at 10 a.m. to serve the balance of day menu. Any restaurants changing their hours have been directed to update on tacobell.com/locations, but customers can expect that many locations may begin to reduce hours of operations. **Restaurant Cleanliness** Over the last two weeks, Taco Bell has reinforced restaurant-level protocols in its markets regarding prevention, hygiene, cleaning and sanitation, and has rolled out new temporary procedures to promote the health and safety of team members and customers. This includes: - Providing gloves for all cashiers to wear during their shift - Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing throughout the restaurants - Focusing on sanitizing high-touch areas such as kiosks, drink dispensers, front counters, pin pads, tables, trays, etc. - Reinforcing already strict sanitation, handwashing, and health and wellness policies for team members - Making every effort to ensure hand sanitizer is always available in the restaurants for team members and customers Equipped the restaurant hotline with up-to-date processes and information to help quickly answer questions and provide any necessary guidance to restaurants around the clock Like most of you, I’ve been reading the news about the spread of coronavirus and I am convinced that Taco Bell, our franchisees and team members have an obligation to do something to help stop this from spreading.?It’s the right thing to do, but outside of increased cleaning in the restaurants like we’ve been doing, how can we make a larger impact? As regions of the U.S. begin to mandate public closures and self-quarantine, we are equipping our restaurants to serve our guests via drive-thru and delivery only, where necessary.?Should we need to?temporarily close?our dining rooms, we would be limiting millions of guest interactions?and further enabling social distancing. We are going to redefine what it means to be a social brand during this coronavirus pandemic, while at the same time keeping our team members safe and continuing to provide our fans with the delicious Taco Bell food they love. Because our people are the heart of our organization, and we understand the impact these actions can have,?we’re amending our sick policy?at our company-owned U.S. restaurants?to better accommodate our teams while ensuring no one works who is sick.?We’ll be paying employees who are required to?stay at home, or who work at a restaurant that is closed, for their scheduled or regularly scheduled hours during their?time away from work. We’re actively working with our franchise partners to encourage a similar approach. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - Taco Bell (company) - restaurant operations (topic) - coronavirus response (topic) - cleanliness protocols (topic) - sick policy (topic) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20200319_latest_updates_on_taco_bell_and_coronavirus_covid1.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/4bc70680-a3e4-49fc-bc03-0d2c82126303).