IRVING, Texas—7-Eleven taco lovers rejoiced when Laredo Taco Company opened at the retailer's first 7-Eleven Evolution Store in Dallas two years ago. Yesterday, the chain unveiled its first Laredo Taco Company drive-thru restaurant in Dallas. The outlet, with indoor seating as well, shares space with the newest 7-Eleven Evolution Store, the third such store in Dallas and the sixth in the U.S.

This marks the first time 7-Eleven Inc., has operated a corporate-owned drive-thru restaurant at one of its stores.

“This is delicious news for customers of both 7-Eleven and Laredo Taco Company,” said Chris Tanco, 7–Eleven executive vice president and COO, in a press release. “7-Eleven is known as a beverage destination, and Laredo Taco Company makes some of the best quick-serve Mexican food anywhere. Throw in the convenience of grabbing a taco paired with a Slurpee drink through a drive-thru, and it’s a match made in heaven.”

Laredo Taco Company is famous for its authentic tacos served on handmade flour tortillas that are made from scratch in its restaurants every day and its fresh salsa bar with a wide selection of salsas and pico de gallo.

Tacos and meals include specialties not always seen in quick-serve Mexican restaurants, such as authentic beef barbacoa, chorizo, carne asada, carnitas and breakfast tacos made with fresh-cracked eggs. What’s more, drive-thru customers can choose from over 30 beverages and even more food options and combinations.

Drive-thru hours are from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday—Thursday, and 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with an all-day menu and meals for los niños that include a side and a small drink.

Inside the restaurant, diners can toast their tacos with wine-based frozen margaritas, beer or wine. Beer, wine and several flavors of wine-based frozen margaritas are on tap for on-premise consumption. Margarita flavors include classic, strawberry, swirl, watermelon, sangria, melon and prickly pear.

7-Eleven isn’t the only convenience retailer getting into the drive-thru restaurant game. In January, Wawa opened its first stand-alone drive-thru experiment in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. It was the company’s second store to test drive-thru. In December, Wawa opened its first drive-thru store in Westhampton Township.

For a look inside 7-Eleven’s Evolution Store concept, including Laredo Taco Company, read “The Reimaging of 7-Eleven” in the December 2020 issue of NACS Magazine.