Shipping Container Taco Bell Lands in Southern California

Fried chicken taco shell peddler Taco Bell is dropping yet another new design into the mix in Southern California. The Orange County Register reports that the nation’s first permanent shipping container Taco Bell outpost is landing in the city of South Gate this fall.

Shipping containers, an ever-more trendy building material, have been popping up as restaurants across the country. In fact, the 1080-square-foot cargo container Taco Bell first made its debut at South By Southwest in 2015 as a pop-up, according to Curbed. At the time, Taco Bell suggested that it might “explore dropping this type of asset in different locations.”

Designed by SG Blocks, the Tex-Mex chain location will be comprised of five cargo containers and feature outdoor-only seating (something that could only be pulled off in a place as sunny as SoCal). Denver-based franchisee Alvarado Companies, which owns 110 restaurants, says the new location is part of a company-wide green initiative.

SG Blocks

As a brand, Taco Bell’s has been looking for ways to bring its restaurants into the 21st Century. America’s first boozy Taco Bell Cantina launched last October in Chicago and the concepts have since spread to Berkeley, Las Vegas, and beyond. The company also revealed plans this year to develop four new modern restaurant designs, the first of which arrived in Orange County, California this month. Eater has reached out for more details on other possible shipping container Taco Bell developments. Stay tuned.

• World's First Taco Bell in a Shipping Container Coming to Southern California [OC Register]

• Taco Bell Lands a Shipping Container Restaurant at SXSW [Curbed]

• Taco Bell Unveils New Look, Complete With Outdoor Fireplaces [E]

• All Taco Bell Coverage [E]