Taco Bell gets OK

By MIKE WEST, Courier Editor

Woodbury’s Planning Commission OK’d plans Tuesday (Aug. 26) for construction of a new Taco Bell fast-food restaurant.

The restaurant will be located on West Main Street adjacent to Auto Zone, 934 W. Main St. The shop should employ between 35 and 40 people.

“We’re all excited about it. It should be particularly popular with Woodbury’s younger citizens,” said Mayor Harold Patrick.

While many Taco Bells operate with Pizza Hut or KFC, Woodbury’s will be a stand-alone.

“It’s going to be a nice Taco Bell with a projected starting date of Dec. 1,” the mayor said.

“They will be returning in September to the Planning Commission to seek a sign height variance,” Patrick said. Woodbury currently has a 35-foot height limit, but typically Taco Bell’s signs are taller.

Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, Cal. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., they serve a variety of Tex-Mex foods including tacos and burritos. It is the nation’s leading Mexican-style fast-food restaurant serving more than 36 million customers each week in nearly 5,800 U.S. Stores.

Since its founding by Glen Bell in 1962, Taco Bell has become the second most profitable brand in the country.

The Woodbury store will be the eighth constructed in the nearby area. Murfreesboro has several with other restaurants located in McMinnville, Smithville and Manchester. The company’s latest store was in Fairview.

Breakfast, the newest Taco Bell offering, will be offered at the Woodbury restaurant. Tentative hours have the shop opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 11 p.m. to midnight during the week and open until 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. on Saturdays.