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Taco Bell to open in Rancho Sereno neighborhood. Taco Bell is set to open a location in the former Starbucks on West Sahara Ave. Published Date: October 22, 2026, 11:04 PM EDT Taco Bell is preparing to open its next Las Vegas Valley location. According to a City of Las Vegas permit, the new Taco Bell is expected to open in the Rancho Sereno neighborhood of West Sahara at 3301 W Sahara Ave. The address sits in the Sahara Financial Center corridor on the corner of West Sahara Avenue and Rye Street. The free-standing 1-story commercial building features a drive-thru and formerly housed a standalone Starbucks location. At the helm of the opening is SG Ellison of Silver State Bell LLC, both of whom were listed on the permit. What Now Las Vegas reached out to Ellison to find out more about the upcoming opening, but Whatnow Media Group did not hear back by the time of this publication. Silver State Bell is a large Taco Bell franchisee based in Las Vegas and Reno. The company operates under the Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG). "Together, we're building something extraordinary and unexpected," Ellison, who is listed as the CEO and Franchisee of DRG, said on the company's website. Glen Bell founded Taco Bell in Downey, California, on March 21, 1962, after learning hard-shell taco techniques from the nearby Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino. In 1948, Bell opened Bell's Drive-In (later Bell's Hamburgers and Hot Dogs) in San Bernardino. He noticed long lines at Mitla Cafe across the street, which is famous for its hard-shell tacos. He learned the recipe style from head chef Gloria Hoyle and started selling pre-fried crunchy tacos, opening his first taco-focused stand, Taco Tia, in San Bernardino, where tacos cost 19 cents. By 1964, the brand began to franchise, and in 1970, the company went public with 325 restaurants. The brand continued to boom, introducing its value menu in 1990 and a host of iconic eats and drinks through the early 2000s, including the Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Crunchwrap Supreme, and Doritos Locos Tacos. There are now about 8,268 to 8,271 Taco Bell locations in the United States and 8,200 to 15,000 worldwide. Nevada has about 99 of those locations, with 46 serving the Las Vegas Valley. Taco Bell is anticipated to open in West Sahara at 3301 W Sahara Ave later this year or early next year. (This is a developing story. As more information is made available, Whatnow Media Group will update this article. Stay tuned!) Love its content? Add WhatNow as a preferred source on Google to see more of its trusted coverage when you search. Be the first to know. From new restaurant openings to exciting retail launches and real estate insights, be the first to know what's happening in Las Vegas Regional Reporter Candese Charles first fell in love with journalism in the second grade, when she started the Charles Gazette. Since then, her career as a journalist has taken her to TV screens in New Orleans, the Bay Area, and Las Vegas. She believes that a good story has the power to change the world or at least change the way you think about food. Food is a love language for her, as both her father and brother are chefs. Originally from Los Angeles, after a trek across the country for her career as a TV news reporter, she's happy to call North Las Vegas home. When she's not writing about the hottest and newest restaurants, she's spending time with her family, catching concerts and music festivals, or brunching with her besties. She's excited to bring you a delicious bite of the next big restaurant.

Taco Bell makes decision on soft drink provider as sister chain KFC switches to Coca-Cola. By CNN Newsource Published: Oct. 22, 2026 at 1:09 PM PDT (CNN) - KFC may be ditching Pepsi for Coca-Cola, but Taco Bell said it's sticking with Pepsi. The fast-food chain announced Thursday it's extending its partnership with PepsiCo through 2036. The deal is a big win for PepsiCo. Not only did the company lose its longstanding contract with KFC to rival Coca-Cola, but it recently reported slumping North American beverage sales. Taco Bell and PepsiCo plan to develop new drinks and Doritos Locos Tacos flavors. Those include more options for Mountain Dew Baja Blast, which has become a billion-dollar brand. Taco Bell said it's also aiming to generate $5 billion in beverage revenue by 2030.

Taco Bell is testing new Baja Sauce and Chicken in just one city. It's no secret that Taco Bell is always soft launching (well, technically testing) new products to see just how interested diners might be in seeing the restaurant chain's menu grow. Some are huge hits or great values - just look at the Chicken Crunchadillas or the snacking-ready Double Dipping Burritos, for example - while others are short-lived attempts at making classics feel fresh again. And if you're lucky enough to live in one of Taco Bell's test markets, sometimes you can sample what might be hitting restaurants next. Right now, for example, Taco Bell is testing a brand-new Baja Sauce and a take on Baja Chicken. But these new items are only appearing on the menu in one specific city. You'll need to head to Sacramento to try Taco Bell's latest items. If you live in Sacramento, California, Sporked has got good news: Your Taco Bell just might be one of the very first to see the new Baja Sauce and Chicken. Sporked found out that Taco Bell is testing a mix of different Baja items in the Sacramento area. This new Baja Chicken menu features items like Crispy Chicken, slow-roasted chicken, and sides like creamy Baja Sauce, and crunchy and spicy Baja Slaw (which is made with purple cabbage, cilantro, and a poblano-based Baja-style dressing). Many of the new Baja items also come topped with shredded cheddar cheese and pico de gallo. The items available to taste-test do vary from location to location, but if you stop into one of Sacramento's Taco Bell restaurants, you might find the following on the menu: * Baja Crispy Chicken Soft Tacos * Cantina Baja Chicken Soft Tacos * Baja Crispy Chicken Burritos * Cantina Baja Chicken Burritos * Cantina Baja Crispy Chicken Bowls * Cantina Baja Slow-Roasted Chicken Bowls But that's not all Taco Bell is testing right now. Sacramento-area locations are also testing several different deals on these brand-new food items. Most locations are currently offering just one new deal, but there are a few being trialed with customers. So, you just might be able to save and try an entirely new combo meal. Here's what's been spotted at test locations: * $9 Discovery Luxe Box, which includes a Baja Crispy Chicken Soft Taco, a Burrito Supreme, a Crunchy Taco, Chips, Nacho Cheese Sauce, and a medium fountain drink. * $9.99 Baja Crispy Chicken Soft Taco Combo, which includes two Baja Crispy Chicken Soft Tacos, Nacho Fries, and a large fountain drink. * 2-piece Crispy Chicken Strips priced at $3.99. Will Taco Bell's new Baja Sauce and Chicken roll out nationwide? Eager to get your hands on these new Baja Chicken dishes and the poblano-based sauce that tops the slaw? Well, you might be able to do so. The potential Taco Bell changes all depend on how well the new items are received. If you live in Sacramento, head to your local Taco Bell. Different restaurants will have different new potential menu additions available right now. Don't live in Sacramento? Well, you'll have to wait to find out just how much the public in that test market enjoys the new Baja Chicken menu. If it's a hit, Taco Bell is likely to expand the test to more cities - and ultimately, it could come to your very own hometown if it's suspected to be popular nationwide.