A popular quick service restaurant specializing in Mexican-inspired favorites, from made-to-order tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and vegetarian options, is marking three decades in Bellefontaine this year, and is celebrating its longevity in a variety of ways to cater to its loyal customers.
In fact, Taco Bell at 1500 S. Main St., has reopened its dining room for customers in recent weeks after carefully surveying health conditions in the area and ensuring that safety is at the forefront, Fiesta Holdings President J.J Kallergis said Wednesday.
“Our new general manager, Anthony Meadows, is enjoying having that one-on-one customer interaction once again inside the store and the community that it fosters,” Kallergis said.
“We’ve been open for carry-out and drive-thru throughout the COVID-19 crisis, but we are very happy to be able to open up once again for dine-in, too. It brings in a whole new group of customers and it is a whole different experience being able to come inside, sit down and relax.”
The Fiesta Holdings president said Taco Bell of Bellefontaine first opened in 1990 at the former 2079 S. Main St. location by Delores McCormick.
In 1998, Kallergis’ father, John Kallergis, bought the store from the Taco Bell Corporation for his former franchise. Then in 2018, their family joined together to establish the franchise Fiesta Holdings and transfer the stores to that ownership. John now serves at the CEO, and the Moraine-based multi-unit franchise company owns 15 Taco Bell stores in the Dayton market, along with three stores in the Chicago area.
J.J. Kallergis said another reason to celebrate the business’ history includes Taco Bell of Bellefontaine’s move to its current updated space in late 2018, building the new restaurant “from the ground up.”
“For our customer demographic, they expect a nicer restaurant experience, and our new location makes that possible in the more modern, bright and accommodating space,” he said.
“It would have been a challenge to achieve that in our former older building. Our previous location had outdated décor from the 1990s, and our drive-thru space also was very limited; we had outgrown that lot. Now we have an extended drive-thru space and have the goal of making that as quick and accurate as well.”
To help increase order accuracy, convenience and personalized options for customers, Taco Bell of Bellefontaine also is promoting its mobile app and online ordering options, so that orders are ready for customers as soon as they arrive at the building.
“The mobile app is helping us deliver on that faster experience to customers; all they have to say is their name and they’re ready to go with their orders,” Kallergis said. “Our customer research has found that customers enjoy the app because they find that so many of our food items can be modified and personalized to add items they like or remove items they don’t enjoy. The app also has a vegetarian mode as well.”
In addition to the tech-savvy way to order meals, Taco Bell also recently has launched a royalty program that rewards customers for these online purchases with the chance to unlock rewards and free items.
For customers inside the store as well, a self-serve kiosk is available to place orders and make payments in a contactless way and the units are wiped down between customers, Meadows said.
In celebration of Taco Bell of Bellefontaine’s 30th anniversary, the store also is offering special menu deals for customers, including the popular Taco Party Pack of 12 tacos for $12; the Grande Stacker meal, including a beef quesadilla-style triangle stacker, two crunchy tacos and a medium drink for $5; along with the Nacho Party Pack, a box of nachos with all the fixings, including cheese, beef, tomatoes and jalapenos, for $9.99.
Kallergis related with all of the new technology options, a fresh, new look for the store, and a long-standing dedication to serving fast, fresh and tasty Mexican-inspired fare, the local restaurant has a bright future ahead.
“The Bellefontaine store is an important one for Fiesta Holdings and we’re pleased with how everything is going,” Kallergis said. “Anthony is bringing a great vibe as our new general manager and we’re very appreciative of how all our team members have pulled together during this year to keep themselves and our customers safe.
“Taco Bell is a strong brand, and it’s going to be around for a long time.”
The restaurant is open for dine-in from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Drive-thru hours are 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday; 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.