The hype behind Taco Bell’s early retirement community

When we received an invite to Taco Bell’s “early retirement community” — a place for fans of all ages to live like a senior in their golden years —  we thought, sure, why not live más?

So we headed to The Cantinas, which took over a San Diego-area country club.

Astonishing attention to detail…

… converted it into an orange and purple retro wonderland:

• A wall of Big Mouth Billy Bass animatronics sang Taco Bell jingles in sync.
• Tables were set with board games and bowls of hard candies, just like at grandma’s.
• The Sundries offered Cantinas-branded thrifted apparel — tennis skirts, polos, visor hats, etc.

The day’s activities included pickleball, aerobics, still-life painting, crochet, a sound bath, and Bingo hosted by senior influencers Retirement House.

But… why?

A Taco Bell spokesperson told The Hustle that the company pays attention to trends and noticed Gen Z enjoys a relaxed pace — “turning in instead of turning up.”

Oh, you meant why did people from 20+ states attend this sold-out marketing stunt? Well, in-person activations to engage fans aren’t uncommon — consider McDonald’s anime WcDonald’s or 2022’s Cap’n Crunch ferry.

But Taco Bell excels:

• Bookings at The Bell, a themed pop-up resort in Palm Springs, California, sold out in about two minutes in 2019.
• A Toronto billboard dispensed nacho cheese.
• A Vegas chapel offers themed weddings with sauce packet bouquets. In 2022, Taco Bell held a contest  — to which 300+ couples applied — to wed in the metaverse.
• Live Más Live, an Apple-esque event, hypes new menu items.

But more importantly, their fans respond, with some making their love for gorditas part of their identity.

Taco Bell has broad appeal

It’s affordable, open late, and has myriad vegetarian options. Yet Gen Z Insights posits that it’s Taco Bell’s authenticity — acknowledging it’s a for-profit brand, while not taking itself too seriously — that moves younger consumers.

Taco Bell also maintains rolling buzz with new products and smart partnerships, like the Big Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme or reviving the Mexican Pizza after Doja Cat tweeted it should. In 2024, it’s introduced a new product every five weeks.

BTW: Congrats to James and Caroline, who got engaged at The Cantinas. They met via a dating app eight years ago and initially bonded over their shared love of Taco Bell.