Taco Bell’s Live Más Café begins a nationwide expansion

The fast-food chain will open the drink-focused stores in Texas in November, with locations opening in Dallas on Nov. 6 and in Houston on Nov. 20.

The Live Más concept has caught on quickly for the Yum! Brands holding. The Irvine, Calif. store is selling more than 900 drinks per day, the company says. And Taco Bell has sold over 600 million beverages through August of this year, a 16% increase over the same time period in 2024.

“Live Más Café was created in response to what we’re seeing from Gen Z, a real cultural shift where beverages are becoming lifestyle drivers," said Taylor Montgomery, global chief brand officer of Taco Bell in a statement. "Live Más Café is another example of how we take what we do best — craveable, fun, and a little bit rebellious — and bring it into a whole new space."

The first Live Más Café launched last December in San Diego. Taco Bell collaborated with Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) on the new concept. DRG is a franchisee that has been instrumental in getting Taco Bell to innovate. With over 300 units, at present, DRG has been a part of several new concepts, including the Cantina design and the introduction of several new specialty beverages.

Taco Bell has announced plans to add 30 more Live Más Café locations by the fall of 2025. Officials say this is the start of a multi-year transformation for the company. The goal, Taco Bell says, is to boost beverage sales to $5 billion by 2030.

The expansion comes after McDonald’s pulled the plug on beverage-focused CosMc’s, closing all five of the chain's locations after less than two years in business. Some of the most popular CosMc's drinks will make it onto the menu at standard McDonald's $MCD.