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Drive-thru design: Taco Bell is testing a new drive-thru format

Drive-thru design: Taco Bell is testing a new drive-thru format

Taco Bell is testing a new drive-thru format with four lanes and vertical drops for food in Minnesota. The concept is dubbed Taco Bell Defy and focuses on mobile ordering and making fast food, well, even faster.

Taco Bell's goal is to get drive-thru ordering times down to 2 minutes or less — a bold goal for a fast food chain that is already the fastest in the business (of the 10 largest chains).

Faster food

Indeed, data from a QSR study reveals that last year the average Taco Bell drive-thru time from entry to exit was a speedy 268 seconds. That was the fastest of any of the largest chains, and less than half of the time that the typical Chick-fil-A drive-thru took.

The only problem is that the speed seems to have compromised on accuracy as the study also showed that Chick-fil-A orders were correct an impressive 100% of the time, while Taco Bell drive-thru orders were only correct 87% of the time — meaning that roughly one-in-seven orders had some kind of problem or mistake.

You can't sit with us

Although it's only one store, this Taco Bell concept is a response to changing habits from the pandemic. Drive-thru sales skyrocketed during COVID, and they've stayed high in some areas — which is why the Taco Bell Defy doesn't have any seating whatsoever inside. One franchisee, Border Foods, has seen drive-thru orders account for 90%+ of its sales at its 200+ locations, up from around 65% pre-COVID.

See a video of Taco Bell Defy in action.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

business

Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

business

Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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