Ernesto Figueroa has been Restaurant General Manager (RGM) at the same Chula Vista, CA Taco Bell on H Street for seven years. He became employed by DRG in 2023, when we acquired 25 Taco Bells in the San Diego area that included his location.
Today, his Taco Bell has been transformed into our first ever Live Más Café, a brand new Taco Bell concept where a smattering of exciting beverages don’t just complement our menu items, they steal the show!
“It’s like another restaurant inside of a restaurant,” Ernesto tries to explain. He gushes about the new dining room, “The colors are amazing! Once you open the door, you feel something.”
Ernesto still appears to be in a little disbelief about the whole transformation. “I never imagined it would be how it is,” he says. A restaurant as fresh and colorful as our drinks!
“I’m going to be part of the history of Taco Bell!” – Ernesto Figueroa, RGM
Ernesto remembers when SG Ellison, our CEO and President, casually stopped in to talk to him about the new concept: Did Ernesto think his location was a good choice?
Chula Vista definitely had potential! Ernesto describes the surrounding area as a nice, quiet neighborhood. It boasts excellent foot traffic with a local high school and Southwestern College’s largest campus nearby. Ernesto’s location was perfect for the first-time concept.
The Inside Scoop
The dining room of Ernesto’s Taco Bell which caused some confusion among customers. Once café construction began, regulars wondered why in the world was the dining room closed again?
During the interior refresh, Ernesto and his team had to serve guests exclusively through the drive-thru fo He said that while the community remained in the dark, he was witnessing most of the transformation as it happened. For him, the excitement started building when the new equipment arrived.
Open for Business
DRG’s Live Más Café officially opened in early December, attracting several hundred people throughout its first day. According to Ernesto, his team sold over 800 drinks. It’s safe to say the specialty beverage craze is catching on! Check out this extensive drinks menu!
Social buzz and favorable reviews like Food and Wine’s are adding to the impact. Sales are up 50 to 60%; every Saturday, after 11 am, the café is packed with teenagers. “That’s something different than before,” Ernesto says.
The most popular drinks so far are the Mexican Chocolate Churro Chiller and Mexican Mocha Iced Coffee (Ernesto likes the Cinnavanilla Coffee Churro Chiller even though he doesn’t like coffee). Come taste for yourselves:
Taco Bell Live Más Café
1548 E. H Street
Chula Vista, CA
Open daily 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
