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Taco Bell reopens sporting new look
By Ed Enoch
The drive-through at Taco Bell on Hardy Street is beginning to fill with cars again after a minor fire closed the restaurant for nine days.
And returning customers may notice a new look in the restaurant's dining area. Phillip Peterson, the eatery's general manager, said he took advantage of the fire's damage to renovate the dining area, replace the ceiling and repaint the walls.
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"It looks a lot more inviting," he said.
Shelly Walker, who works at Vardaman Buick-Honda on Broadway Drive, said she missed the convenience of the restaurant and its menu.
"It's good food. They do a good job; they get it out fast," she said. "I missed it because I don't have time to get out to the other Taco Bell."
While Walker and some customers have returned, the business is still recovering from the May 29 fire that caused $30,000 in damage.
While closed, the restaurant lost $4,000 to $8,000 a day, Peterson said.
"We've started to pick up a little, but we're not where we were before the incident," Peterson said, adding most people still are unaware the restaurant re-opened June 7.
"We still get phone calls inquiring if it's open," he said.
During the downtime, some customers went to the Taco Bell on U.S. 98 in Hattiesburg. Business increased by about 25 percent at that Taco Bell, said Tonya Stalnaker, assistant manager at the location.
Since the Hardy Street location has reopened, Peterson said business had returned to normal. Both area locations are owned by Paradise Foods Inc. in Natchez.
The fire was the result of deteriorating Sheetrock, Peterson said.
The blaze started in a wall behind the cookers where a heat buildup ignited the studs, Hattiesburg fire inspector Clayton Steede said in a previous interview. The fire damaged the wall, insulation and electrical wiring, Steede said.
Originally published June 27, 2006
By Ed Enoch
The drive-through at Taco Bell on Hardy Street is beginning to fill with cars again after a minor fire closed the restaurant for nine days.
And returning customers may notice a new look in the restaurant's dining area. Phillip Peterson, the eatery's general manager, said he took advantage of the fire's damage to renovate the dining area, replace the ceiling and repaint the walls.
ADVERTISEMENT
Social Worker
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
Director of Nursing
Rehab Center Millcreek
Truck Drivers
CDI Services
HOUSEKEEPING, LAUNDRY ATTENDANT
HATTIESBURG LOCATION is seeking friendly...
All Top Jobs
About Top Jobs
"It looks a lot more inviting," he said.
Shelly Walker, who works at Vardaman Buick-Honda on Broadway Drive, said she missed the convenience of the restaurant and its menu.
"It's good food. They do a good job; they get it out fast," she said. "I missed it because I don't have time to get out to the other Taco Bell."
While Walker and some customers have returned, the business is still recovering from the May 29 fire that caused $30,000 in damage.
While closed, the restaurant lost $4,000 to $8,000 a day, Peterson said.
"We've started to pick up a little, but we're not where we were before the incident," Peterson said, adding most people still are unaware the restaurant re-opened June 7.
"We still get phone calls inquiring if it's open," he said.
During the downtime, some customers went to the Taco Bell on U.S. 98 in Hattiesburg. Business increased by about 25 percent at that Taco Bell, said Tonya Stalnaker, assistant manager at the location.
Since the Hardy Street location has reopened, Peterson said business had returned to normal. Both area locations are owned by Paradise Foods Inc. in Natchez.
The fire was the result of deteriorating Sheetrock, Peterson said.
The blaze started in a wall behind the cookers where a heat buildup ignited the studs, Hattiesburg fire inspector Clayton Steede said in a previous interview. The fire damaged the wall, insulation and electrical wiring, Steede said.
Originally published June 27, 2006