Taco Bell pushes beverage growth, expands Live Más Café concept

Smoothie King’s rise is a warning shot for the rest of quick service: drinks are no longer an add-on, they are a growth engine. The chain said systemwide sales have climbed about 64% over the past five years, while its location count has grown about 23%, a sign that protein and fiber messaging is pulling in customers even as many restaurant brands lean on discounting to hold traffic.

That shift matters at Taco Bell because the company is already making beverages a core part of its own growth plan. Taco Bell said it wants beverage sales to reach $5 billion by 2030, and it tied beverages and Cantina Chicken to separate $5 billion system-sales targets in the same strategy. The chain also said it planned to add 30 more Live Más Café restaurants across Southern California and Texas by fall 2025 after testing the concept in Chula Vista, California, and it launched Refrescas nationally in 2025 as a six-drink lineup.

For crew members, that means more than a new menu board. Beverage-led growth can change the pace of a shift, especially when drinks are built to order, customized or paired with limited-time items. More cups, more garnish steps and more guest questions about what is in a drink all add to the pressure at the front counter and drive-thru window. The wellness angle also raises the odds that guests ask about protein, sugar or other nutrition details, which makes accuracy part of the job, not just speed.

For shift managers and restaurant managers, the bigger issue is station balance. Taco Bell’s beverage push, like Smoothie King’s, depends on execution that looks simple to customers but can be labor-intensive behind the line. That is especially true when beverage sales are meant to support check growth without a full kitchen overhaul. Taco Bell’s March 2025 Live Más LIVE event also pointed to 30 new menu items in development, including an evolving chicken and beverage lineup, which suggests the menu mix will keep shifting around the same core staffing base.

The chain has been coming into that push with momentum. Yum! Brands said Taco Bell U.S. same-store sales rose 9% in the first quarter of 2025, and company-owned team-member retention improved 17% year over year. Taco Bell also said it opened more than 340 stores in 25 countries in 2024, bringing its total to 8,757 restaurants. The message for operators is clear: the next phase of Taco Bell growth is not just about value; it is about whether drinks, flavor and a better-for-you pitch can move traffic without breaking the shift.