# New Taco Bell Defy Goes Touchless on its Drive Thru

Published 2021-08-16 · Updated 2026-07-23 · Retail on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/retail/new-taco-bell-defy-goes-touchless-on-its-drive-thru

> It’s all the buzz as the future of fast food, as Taco Bell is ready to revolutionize the drive-thru. Taco Bell Defy is a new concept from the famous chain, and they’re set to break ground on the first store later this month in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The future of fast-food drive-thrus just might be…

It’s all the buzz as the future of fast food, as Taco Bell is ready to revolutionize the drive-thru. Taco Bell Defy is a new concept from the famous chain, and they’re set to break ground on the first store later this month in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The future of fast-food drive-thrus just might be shifting with the announcement from Taco Bell. But, the decision to test a more QSR-focused and contactless concept has been accelerated by the pandemic, with 66 percent of consumers anticipating continuing to use curbside pickup after dine-in services resume, according to [Technomic’s ](https://www.technomic.com/technomics-take/coronavirus-foodservice-view)[*2020 Delivery and Takeout Consumer Trend Report*](https://www.technomic.com/technomics-take/coronavirus-foodservice-view).

Will this see other fast-food chains follow suit, or is this just a one-off concept that might not last?

The 3,000 square foot, two-story building, will only be for drive-thru service. It will feature four lanes, with one of them being traditional. The other three will be exclusively for pickup orders placed via the Taco Bell app and third-party delivery services. Customers will scan a QR code upon arrival and check-in, then pull forward to pick up their food via a contactless lift system.

“In 2015, we created the Taco Bell Cantina concept with an open kitchen environment in urban markets. In 2020, [we introduced the Go Mobile concept ](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-food/taco-bell-unveils-new-restaurant-built-digital-future)much earlier than anticipated with the help of quick collaboration with franchisees just like Border Foods,” said Mike Grams, Taco Bell’s president and global COO, in a statement. “Partnering with our franchisees to test new concepts is a huge unlock of learning for us. What we learn from the test of this new Defy concept may help shape future Taco Bell restaurants.”

The move comes amid a shift for fast food restaurants, QSRs, and other industries looking to capitalize on the consumer shift that occurred during the pandemic. In January, at the height of the pandemic, [89.6 percent of U.S. restaurants offered takeout, and 81.9 percent had delivery as an option, a third of which used three or more delivery apps.](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/consumer-trends/how-covid-19-forever-changed-restaurant-industry) Customers are looking for quick options that feature contactless service and payment, delivery, and pickup options.

While QSRs might have initially been waiting for dine-in service to return, the Delta variant is most certainly forcing some to consider doubling down on pickup, curbside, and delivery options.

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