Taco Bell Rings Big Ben's Bell

Londoners Surprised with Brand's Distinctive Chime Amid Big Ben's Construction

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Nov 20, 2018, 06:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- London has become a city without a bell due to Big Ben's construction, but thanks to Taco Bell, that's no longer the case.

Yesterday, Taco Bell chimed in with a sound that London has been missing for over a year: Big Ben's bells. As the infamous clock is under scaffolding for reconstruction, Big Ben's popular chimes have also been under wraps. Taco Bell seized the opportunity to surprise and delight Londoners with a sound of their own: its signature bell digitized to recreate the Westminster chimes.

London has become a city without a bell due to Big Ben’s construction, but thanks to Taco Bell, that’s no longer the case. Yesterday, Taco Bell chimed in with a sound that London has been missing for over a year: Big Ben’s bells. The move marks the world’s leading Mexican-inspired restaurant’s entry into London, one of the brand’s most requested cities for entry.

The first London Taco Bell, located in the Hammersmith district, opens November 23, and based on recent U.K. openings that have received tremendous fanfare, it’s sure to have hundreds of fans lining up for blocks.

As Big Ben’s popular chimes have been under wraps, Taco Bell seized the opportunity to surprise and delight Londoners with its signature bell, digitized to recreate the Westminster chimes. Taco Bell worked with an audio engineer to compose the chimes out of Taco Bell’s iconic bell, and blasted them through parametric speakers in the area surrounding Big Ben on November 19, causing a stir among Londoners days before Taco Bell’s first London restaurant opening.

The move marks the world's leading Mexican-inspired restaurant's entry into London, one of the brand's most requested cities for entry. The first London Taco Bell, located in the Hammersmith district, opens November 23, and based on recent U.K. openings that have received tremendous fanfare, it's sure to have hundreds of fans lining up for blocks.

"Restoring Big Ben's bell with our bell was the perfect way to introduce ourselves to London in a way only Taco Bell can," said Marisa Thalberg, Taco Bell Global Chief Brand Officer. "We don't take ourselves too seriously and have been known to play a prank or two. We hope our unique twist on Big Ben's chimes brought surprise and humor to Londoners; this was our little arrival gift as we gratefully show up on London's doorstep."

Fans of Taco Bell will remember its infamous 1996 April Fool's Liberty Bell prank, in which the brand advertised it had bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the "Taco Liberty Bell," before revealing the story was a hoax and announcing a contribution to the upkeep of the Liberty Bell. In this same lighthearted vein, Taco Bell brought some humor into Londoners daily commutes, as they passed by Big Ben and heard a new twist on the Westminster Chimes.

To create this new take on the chimes, the brand worked with an audio engineer to compose the chimes out of Taco Bell's iconic bell. The chimes were blasted through parametric speakers in the area surrounding Big Ben on November 19, causing quite the stir among Londoners days before Taco Bell's first London restaurant opening.

After the first Hammersmith restaurant opens, three more Taco Bells are set to open across London in the coming months, joining the brand's 28 other restaurants across the U.K. The new London locations include:

Hammersmith, London – opening Friday, November 23
Holborn, London – opening Friday, November 30
Croydon, London – opening in December 2018
Fulham, London – opening in early 2019

"We've had our sights set on London for quite some time, and as we continue growing internationally, we're excited to bring Taco Bell to one of the world's largest cities – and one of our most-requested markets," said Liz Williams, President, Taco Bell International. "We've seen an overwhelmingly positive response to our U.K. restaurants, and have ambitious plans for growth in London and the broader U.K., targeting more than 30 U.K. restaurants by the end of the year."

The London restaurants will feature modern designs, open-kitchen concepts, artwork from local artists, complimentary WiFi and outlets for charging devices, inviting guests to stay and socialize over their meal. Menu items will include craveable classics from Taco Bell's U.S. menu, U.K. specific items such as delicious churros with dipping sauces, Twisted Freezes, beer, and specials such as happy hours, Taco Tuesday featuring a taco and a Sol beer for £2 and a 'Cravers' value menu. The Hammersmith restaurant will even feature the same beer innovation as Taco Bell's Las Vegas flagship Cantina, where beer fills the cup from the bottom before being sealed with a magnet.

Visit www.tacobelluk.co.uk and follow @TacoBellUK on social media to learn more about Taco Bell's London presence, and add Taco Bell to the top of your list of reasons to plan a trip to London!

About Taco Bell Corp.
For information about Taco Bell, visit www.TacoBell.com/News or find us on social media. Like: Facebook.com/tacobell -- Follow: @TacoBell and @TacoBellNews (Twitter), tacobell (Instagram) and tacobell (Snapchat) -- Subscribe: YouTube.com/tacobell – Explore: ta.co

About Taco Bell International
Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), is the world's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant (QSR) brand. Taco Bell serves made-to-order and customizable tacos and burritos and other specialties with bold flavors, quality ingredients, breakthrough value, and best-in-class customer service to over 40 million customers weekly across the globe. There are currently more than 440 Taco Bell restaurants across 27 countries outside of the United States. The Company and its franchisees operate more than 7,000 restaurants. By 2022, the brand plans to become a $15B company in global system sales with 9,000 restaurants globally.

There are currently 28 Taco Bell restaurants in the UK. Taco Bell can be found in major towns and cities across the country including Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham, Southhampton, Rotherham, Poole, Leeds, York, Essex, Glasgow, Bournemouth and Brighton. For a full list of all UK restaurants, visit https://www.tacobelluk.co.uk/find-us.