BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
It is official! Taco Bell of Millbrook will open to the public Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 9 a.m. and will offer drive-thru service until midnight, per Mayor Al Kelley.
There will be a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. and the public is invited to participate.
Twice the city was extremely close to having a Taco Bell under another franchise owner, and twice the plans fell through just days before the deal was signed and sealed. But this time, the building is complete, employees have been training in the last few weeks, and they are ready to serve beginning Tuesday!
About four years ago, it looked like Taco Bell would be coming to town.
That plan fell through when the property went into bankruptcy. Later, talks began again but two days before the end of due diligence, the former franchise owner for this area backed out.
It was at that time that the city penned a letter to Corporate officials at Taco Bell asking for guidance on how to get a store locally.
From there, officials learned that the former franchise owner for this area was bought out by another group which holds well over 300 Taco Bell locations across the country. They are so big, Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said, that they have their own engineering division because they build so many.
“This time, it is serious,” Mayor Kelley said when the most recent effort was announced last year.
“This has been such a long process, with a lot of disappointment along the way. One of the biggest hot buttons in recent memory is the desire for a Taco Bell in Millbrook.”
This particular store is somewhat unique. It is 2,700 square feet, on 1.3 acres of land, with 28 parking spaces, a drive-thru and an outdoor, covered patio area with fans in the summer and heaters for colder months.
Within a few weeks, Taco Bell will have a new neighbor. Popeye’s is set to break ground in the near future. There are concerns about traffic flow in that area, and city officials have been working with ALDOT officials to create traffic signals for the past couple of years.
ALDOT officials will be on hand Tuesday, according to Mayor Kelley, and he hopes they will see the urgent need. Because that area falls under state control, and not city, Millbrook’s hands have been tied in moving forward with traffic signalization.
This also encompasses an area that will be a gateway into future development along I-65, directly behind where Entec, Taco Bell, and the future Popeye’s will be located.
So, come out Tuesday for the long-awaited opening of Taco Bell. Please be conscious of social distancing.
