Fast food giant Taco Bell launches ‘early retirement community’ experiment

Taco Bell invites people to “live mas” like senior living residents, even if they haven’t reached retirement age.

The fast-food company this week announced “The Cantinas,” a two-day getaway scheduled for San Diego on August 17 and 18, where attendees ages 21 and up can enjoy a weekend of “senior-inspired, sun-soaked entertainment, retail and dining.”

Taco Bell is no stranger to off-the-beaten-path events. In the past, the company has created hotel concepts and even hosted weddings.

At the Cantinas event, attendees will be able to participate in activities such as morning golf, aerobics and pickleball. Customers, who must already be part of Taco Bell’s rewards program, can purchase overnight or day passes.

“There’s a misconception that retirement is the gateway to the life you want. And while that may be true for some, we don’t believe you should wait until you’re 55 to live the life you want,” said Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell’s U.S. marketing director, in a press release. “The Cantinas Early Retirement Community, like our brand, represents a place where all generations can come together, regardless of age, to live their lives the way they want.”

Promotional image for The Cantinas / Courtesy of Taco Bell

While The Cantinas isn’t set in a true senior living community and isn’t specifically geared toward seniors, it’s another indication that big brands like Margaritaville and Disney have senior living in mind.

Christy Van Der Westhuizen, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Legend Senior Living, told Senior Housing News that she sees The Cantinas as a “positive” for the senior living industry because it encourages people to imagine living like a retiree.

“Do you want a casual lifestyle or something exciting and upbeat? It also gives people a ‘why wait’ mentality,” she told Senior Housing News. “I think it taps into a cool factor, but does it in a tongue-in-cheek way.”

This isn’t the first time Taco Bell has marketed its products to seniors. More than a decade ago, the company ran a Super Bowl ad that featured seniors “living it up” by jumping into swimming pools in their underwear, dancing at foam parties and getting tattoos.

Although promotions like The Cantinas don’t actually represent how older people live in retirement homes, Van Der Westhuizen said, “on the contrary, it makes you think about retirement, which I think is positive in this case.”

“For me, the more we can talk about what retirement means, the more we destigmatize older people’s lives,” she said.

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