Taco Bell's Latest Innovation Is a Retirement Resort
You don't have to be 65 to hit up The Cantinas, but you will have to move fast to see it.
For a fleeting taste of the early retirement life, turn to... Taco Bell. In a fast food plot twist for the ages, the chain revealed plans to launch a pop-up retirement community-style destination on Tuesday. The temporary resort will offer visitors—regardless of actual retirement age—weekend getaways that embrace the laid-back lifestyle of retirees, with fun twists characteristic of the Crunchwrap Supreme maker, of course.
The Taco Bell retirement community (five words I never thought I'd string together) is dubbed The Cantinas, a clever wink at the notorious Florida retirement community The Villages. According to the community's official website, it'll open for just two days, August 17 and 18, in the Rancho Santa Fe area just north of San Diego.
Refried retirees will live más with all sorts of senior-inspired leisure activities, daytime recreation, and retail, including morning aerobics, early tee times, pickleball matches, croquet, bocce, knitting circles, painting classes, and plenty more to—as the website puts it—"keep your heart rate (moderately) up." There will also be tons of Taco Bell food to enjoy via "elevated dining" experiences, which I hope entails some sort of golf cart drive-thru lane. And considering the community has a 21+ age requirement, there had better be court-side beverage stations to help get you Baja Blasted all weekend.
The whole experience sounds reminiscent of The Bell, the luxury hotel pop-up concept the chain launched in 2019, but with geriatric theming.
Taco Bell offers two ways to retire early in the community, and neither involves withdrawing from your 401k. You can get a $50 day pass that grants you and a plus-one access to the grounds, activities, and dining from 10 am to 8 pm on Saturday or 8 am to 8 pm on Sunday. Or you can really embrace your inner grandparent and buy a "Weekend Membership" to The Cantinas that includes overnight accommodations for you and a guest, along with full access to amenities, activities, dining, entertainment, and more perks, for $150.
Taco Bell Rewards members can purchase passes and memberships to The Cantinas on a first-come, first-served basis on July 16 at noon EST. If you're eager to party like you just woke up from your afternoon nap, the chain said to stay tuned to the community's official website for additional details on booking, itinerary info, and sneak peeks—and to sign up for a Taco Bell Rewards account if you haven't already. Fair warning: This requires the use of a computer or smartphone.