Crowds for the new Cantina

Launching Taco Bell’s newest concept on the West Coast through public relations

Taco Bell Cantinas are an operating subset of Taco Bell restaurants, blending the traditional fast-food model with a more upscale and urban vibe, and offering a more diverse menu and alcoholic beverages. With the success of several Cantinas in Northern California, Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG), Taco Bell’s largest franchisee, set its sights on expanding the urban concept to a recently-renovated area in Fisherman’s Wharf.

For the Fisherman’s Wharf market entry, it was not simply about creating awareness for the new location. Restaurants typically only compete with other restaurants, but Taco Bell Cantinas faced an additional challenge — competing with itself, or rather, its parent brand. Consumers needed to know why Taco Bell Cantina was not the average Taco Bell. Alongside accentuating the revival of the Wharf with the new Cantina, we focused on reminding fans of the similarities they know and love while emphasizing the differences in ambiance, features and menu. 

We conducted extensive research into the news media and blogger/influencer communities to develop our plan. Leading up to and following their grand opening event, BCH coordinated targeted press release distribution and pitching, while creating social proof through influencer partnerships highlighting key differentiators at Taco Bell Cantinas.

We crafted a lively story of community revitalization brought on by an exciting and fun Taco Bell concept. Surrounding the grand opening event, BCH garnered placement of 79 news stories, reaching 406 million people and generating $3.7 million in publicity value, with the local influencer partner receiving around 900 engagements and reaching 19.7 thousand people.