Taco Bell opens new ‘digital first’ restaurant model in Columbus. Here’s how it works

Brittany McGee
·2 min read

Columbus residents Amanda Sparks and Bernard Hall stopped by the new Taco Bell location on Veterans Parkway during their lunch breaks on Monday.

Hall arrived first and walked up to the “Order Here” window. He fit in with the other lunch patrons wearing his yellow safety vest. In front of the window, a small group of other workers dressed in vests arranged their meals at one of the standing tables situated outside the building.

In the parking lot, other patrons who already received their meals, ate their lunches in their cars.

As Hall waited to order at the window, Sparks arrived and skipped the line to head straight for a large tablet ordering station where she could quickly place her own order.

Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.
Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.

The drive-thru line that had been around the building, typical for noon on a weekday, was quickly getting shorter.

A few minutes later, an employee at the window called for Sparks to give the healthcare worker her order with Hall’s order being completed not long after.

This digital-first fast food restaurant concept is a new concept Taco Bell implemented that is designed for guests to order ahead and receive a faster, more convenient experience.

Columbus and El Paso, Texas, are two of the first cities where the fast food chain has opened its new restaurant model.

Taco Bell’s new “Go Mobile” locations have a smaller footprint, approximately 1,325 square feet, according to a news release. The average Taco Bell is about 2,500 square feet.

The restaurant will utilize a “synchronized digital experience” that is powered by smart kitchen technology that’s integrated with the Taco Bell app, a news release said. Customers have the option to receive their orders with curbside pick-up with “bellhops” who will help streamline guests’ experiences.

Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.
Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.

“The Taco Bell Go Mobile restaurant concept is not only an evolved physical footprint,” Taco Bell President, Global COO, Mike Grams said in the release. “But a completely synchronized digital experience centered around streamlining guest access points. For the first time, our guests will have the ability to choose the pick-up experience that best fits their needs, all while never leaving the comfort of their cars.”

Columbus resident Bernard Hall visited the new Taco Bell location on Veterans Parkway. The location is one of the fast food chain’s first “Go Mobile” models.
Columbus resident Bernard Hall visited the new Taco Bell location on Veterans Parkway. The location is one of the fast food chain’s first “Go Mobile” models.

Hall enjoyed the convenience of being able to order and receive his food quickly, he told the Ledger-Enquirer, but he hopes the traditional fast food restaurant model doesn’t completely go away.

“This place is good for a fast pickup,” he said. “But I kind of like the other (concept) where you can go in and sit down to eat.”

Sparks is the first person in her office to try the new restaurant, she said, and the outdoor eating areas and quick experience was appealing.

Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.
Taco Bell opened one of its first “Go Mobile” concept locations in Columbus this summer. The digital first locations make pick-up faster and more efficient.

“It was the fastest I’ve ever gotten my food,” Sparks said. “Obviously, the concept’s working. I would love to see other fast food restaurants feel like this.”