Taco Bell Cantina Ringing Soon in Westport

Taco Bell’s spiced up “Cantina” concept is coming to Westport, which means you’ll be able to have a beer with your bean burrito and, if turns out to be like the one in Nashville, listen to live music.

Work is underway for a 2,500 square-foot Taco Bell Cantina at the southeast corner of Broadway and Westport Road in the Westley apartment development. It’s the first commercial tenant for the 256-unit apartment project that opened last year.

Representatives for Taco Bell were unavailable for comment, but according to Wikipedia, the urban concept was first launched in Chicago in 2015 and is now in cities across the country including San Francisco, Austin, Las Vegas, Atlanta and San Diego.

The 256-unit Westley at Broadway luxury apartment project is 90 percent leased after opening last year.

Taco Bell Cantina’s stay open late and serve alcohol, have unique menu items and feature a DJ, according to Wikipedia. The one in Nashville that opened earlier this year also features live music.

Upstairs, the luxury Westley on Broadway project has leased up well and is 90 percent occupied. The development also includes 10,000 square-feet of retail space, with Taco Bell now occupying one-quarter of that.

And while purists may cringe at a Taco Bell Cantina landing in Kansas City’s most historic entertainment district, it’s not the first national franchise to find a home there.

Over the past couple years, Denver-based Snooze A.M. Eatery and Atomic Provisions have set up shop, and Westport also has chains staking out claims including Pickleman’s, Subway, Sonic, Great Clips, World Market and Mattress Firm.