Residents of Scottsbluff and nearby communities will be able to ‘Live Mas’ much closer to home soon, as a Minnesota-based Taco Bell franchisee is working to reopen the restaurant on 27th Street.
Officials with Border Foods were in town early this week, starting the hiring process and getting a first hand look at the building remodel already underway.
Facilities Vice President Brian Davies says it’s the company’s first franchise in Nebraska, which now gives them a presence in 10 states, and they’re excited about the possibilities for the store. “We can remodel the restaurant, give it a facelift, make it fresh and new, and give the residents there a current look of what a Taco Bell should look like,” Davies told KNEB News. “We are working with almost entirely local vendor partners for this project. One of the challenges we are facing is the hail storm that went through not too long ago, and everybody is extremely busy. So we’re working around some schedules, but we do have a goal of October for opening the restaurant.”
He said the excitement clearly isn’t limited to his company, as the response from community residents has been impressive. Davies recounted being stopped by an employee of a nearby fast food competitor, who grilled him to confirm it was a Taco Bell that would be re-opening in that location, and described to him the local social media chatter that has been filled with positive reaction.
Davies started his 38-year career with Taco Bell as a cashier, and has risen through the ranks of Border Foods since it’s inception 26 years ago. Given his tenure with the company, KNEB News asked him to describe the corporate culture.
“Gosh, I could count in our office alone at least 10 people that are 20-plus years in the organization, and they just do a great job of taking care of you, (and) giving back to the community. We’ve been involved in charities like Boys and Girls Clubs since our inception. We actually have our first golf event we’re doing this year, where we’re doing that to support scholarships for kids. So, it’s just been a great group to be with, and they really take care of their people,” said Davies.
While some staff positions were filled during the recent visit, Davies said the company is looking to have 30 employees on board by the time they open, with a job application process that starts online through Indeed.com
