Taco Bell is working on a booze-serving Cantina in Navy Yard that would take over the former Swingers space less than a block from Nationals Park. The proposal calls for turning roughly 3,000 square feet of street-level retail on Half Street into a late-night Taco Bell that serves alcoholic drinks alongside the standard menu, setting up another chain-driven evening option right by the game-day crowds.
According to the Washington Business Journal, Taco Bell has drawn up plans for a Cantina-format restaurant on the block next to Nationals Park, with a footprint of about 3,000 square feet. That reporting is the clearest public indication so far that the brand is targeting a prominent Half Street storefront for its alcohol-friendly concept.
Where the Cantina Would Land
The potential Navy Yard Cantina would occupy the former Swingers Crazy Golf outpost at 1250 Half St. SE, an address that Washingtonian identifies as the Navy Yard location of the mini-golf-and-bar venue. Commercial listings for the Kelvin building at that address show street-level retail laid out for restaurant use, which makes the space a straightforward candidate for a Taco Bell conversion.
How a Cantina Works
Taco Bell's Cantina format is an urban, dine-in version of the chain that features an expanded drink lineup, including beer, wine and specialty frozen cocktails, along with late-night hours, according to Taco Bell's location pages. The company already runs Cantina-style locations in the D.C. area, and the concept is geared toward walk-up and evening customers instead of the drive-thru traffic that defines many of its suburban sites. That setup is what would turn the Half Street space from a nightlife-adjacent venue into a national fast-food chain with alcohol service.
Why Navy Yard?
Navy Yard has rapidly grown into one of D.C.'s busiest dining and nightlife strips, with waterfront bars, breweries and restaurants clustered around the ballpark and the Anacostia River. Coverage of recent openings and the neighborhood's expanding evening scene helps explain why national brands keep circling Half Street for new locations, and retail maps show the proposed Taco Bell site right in the middle of that activity corridor.
Licensing and Next Steps
A Cantina at this address would need District approvals for alcohol service and other operating permits. ABRA records show TB Cantina, LLC as holding Cantina licenses at other D.C. locations, so any Navy Yard outpost would require a new Retailer's Class C license or a transfer. Community review often comes with those applications, and past ANC and BZA packets show that neighbors and commissioners typically take a close look at large restaurant and liquor-license proposals in the area.
The Washington Business Journal describes the Navy Yard effort as early in the process and does not mention a target opening date. Residents and nearby businesses should expect to see permit notices and liquor-license postings if the project continues to move forward. We will keep an eye on permitting records and company filings and update coverage as formal notices or official comments surface.
