Taco Bell opens new location near Penn’s campus

The fast food restaurant chain Taco Bell opened a University City location last month. 

The storefront — located at 39th and Chestnut streets — is open daily from 9-12 a.m. and uses a modernized service model. In interviews with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn students spoke about their initial experiences at the chain. 

Unlike traditional Taco Bell restaurants, customers at this location order exclusively through a kiosk system — allowing employees to focus on cleaning tables and making food.

In an interview with the DP, College senior Jalen Tennyson — who has visited the Taco Bell regularly since its opening — expressed her appreciation for the “clean” storefront and “convenient” ordering process.

College sophomore Alexander Lee also told the DP he received his food “promptly” and “appreciated the ease of ordering with the kiosk system.” 

The University City location has seven digital ordering kiosks for customers and includes an expanded seating area containing a combination of booths, counters, and standard tables. 

After 8 p.m., the store ends access to seating, at which point customers are expected to order and wait in the front walkway of the building. Employees then deliver orders through a window opening.

Several students expressed their excitement over the new location’s proximity to Penn’s campus.

“I think it’s actually really convenient for me,” Wharton sophomore Ally Chen told the DP, explaining that the storefront is close to her dormitory.

Tennyson explained that getting Taco Bell in-person is a “better” alternative to receiving it through an online food delivery platform.

“I used to have to Uber Eats it from somewhere else,” Tennyson said. “I was far away, and it would always be delivered cold and bad … I can actually come here with my friends.”

Lee told the DP that while he is “excited” about the location’s opening, he also views it as “just another place for more food options.”

“I would appreciate it if there were some healthier late-night options, especially if Penn itself could have dining halls open later at night, even though I know it’s hard to upkeep those,” Lee added.

Lee also expressed concern about the location’s limited hours of operation.

“I was quite surprised to see that they closed at 12 a.m. because I feel like there’s more of a rush of students way later at night, especially on weekends,” he said.

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