Why You Rarely See Fast Food Chains Serving Alcohol

Daily Meal
By Bobby Lewis
May 6, 2025

Selling alcohol can be an attractive option for all sorts of restaurants looking to boost their profits. But this doesn’t often translate to fast food restaurants in the United States. A large part of the reason is due to the logistical difficulties presented by the country’s patchwork of alcohol regulations.

Businesses can only legally sell alcohol with licenses that are often difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to acquire – and to keep. Beyond that, state and local regulations may prohibit stores near schools and other sensitive locations from selling alcohol at all. In some cases, so-called dry jurisdictions might ban alcohol sales at the local or even county level.

But even if a fast food restaurant is licensed to sell alcohol, it can disrupt logistics on an hourly basis. At various ages, states forbid underage employees from serving alcohol, meaning some employees are barred from completing what should be a simple transaction. There’s also the added time required for verifying customers’ ages, not to mention the obvious concerns about alcohol and drive-thrus. Fast food relies on speed, and selling alcohol can slow things down.

Despite these difficulties, some fast food chains believe it’s worth the effort. It may even be in their DNA, as is the case with Shake Shack. When it opened its second location, the chain paired its burgers with the custom Shackmeister Ale by Brooklyn Brewery. Since then, it has also added exclusive red and white wines in partnership with Frog’s Leap Winery in Napa Valley, California, along with select other beers.

Similarly, some Chipotle locations serve beer and margaritas. Although not well-known, Chipotle has served alcohol since its founding, and some of the chain’s over 3,600 locations still follow this tradition – although many, for various reasons, do not. Alcohol has historically not been a big seller for Chipotle, but it is part of the company’s roots.

Taco Bell is another one of the fast food restaurants that serve alcohol, thanks to its Taco Bell Cantina concept. Taco Bell Cantinas are distinguished by their selection of beers, wines, sangrias, and Twisted Freezes – spiked versions of Taco Bell’s non-alcoholic frozen treat. However, you won’t be able to its Mexican pizza with a daiquiri, one of the best cocktails to pair with fast food, as Taco Bell Cantinas do not have a full bar. Though rare, if you’re in the mood to have an ice-cold beer with your fast-food order, you may be able to find one nearby.