New Taco Bell opened July 18
By Kayla Pearson
Around the Town Editor
Students that crave chalupas and cinnamon twists can now drive down the street for them with the opening of a full service Taco Bell on Highway 710 in the Wal-Mart shopping area beside Andy’s.
The Taco Bell opened for business July 18.
Although the inside contains the same Taco Bell paintings and the basic menu is the same as the one on campus, it in no other way resembles the Express by the DF Lowry building. The new Taco Bell has a different décor, atmosphere and a spacious dining room complete with booths where students can chill out and eat without feeling crowded.
The restaurant also gives black round trays to customers dining in.
“It’s smaller than it looks but it’s nice inside. The trays were a nice touch. They make you feel like you are at a sit down restaurant not fast food,” student Akiyah McGhie said.
The main difference between the two Taco Bells is that the new taco Bell carries the signature cinnamon twist and caramel apple empanada desserts. They also carry the Frutista Freeze ice beverage. It is available in either strawberry or mango and comes topped with real strawberries.
“I love that thing. It’s tasty,” McGhie said. For those students on a budget or just want a good deal, the new Taco Bell’s menu includes a “Why Pay More?” section that has 79 cent cinnamon twists, 89 cent cheese roll ups and triple layer nachos, 99 cent tacos and $1.29 burritos. One complaint about the new Taco Bell is that service is slow even when not crowded and the food is cold when served.
“I understand that they are new, but it should not take five minutes for them to say ‘hey, how you doing’ and ask whether they can take my order,” McGhie said. Students have mixed feelings about the opening of the new Taco Bell.
Some students felt that adding a Taco Bell off campus limits the variety of restaurants available in the radius. “I like the fact that Taco Bell is here on campus. It’s convenient if you want something different,” student Tiffany Leake said.
“The new Taco Bell is good but at the same time it is bad. It gives students off campus a place to stop and eat but those who are on campus aren’t getting a variety,” Leake added.
Those students also feel the school and town should have collaborated, allowing another restaurant to come in. “This town is in love with Taco Bells and Subways. They should have confronted the school first and asked what the students wanted,” student Andrew Taylor said.
Others like the full menu of the new Taco Bell and choose it over the one on campus.
“I prefer the off campus Taco Bell. The campus Taco Bell doesn’t have all the stuff [because] it’s an Express. I like to get what I like to get,” student Dante Durant said. All in all, managers of the campus Taco Bell see no reason to panic. It was closed when the new Taco Bell opened and reopened the first day of classes. Business has maintained around the same as last year.
“We haven’t seen any changes in body count or funds since opening in January,” Unit Manager Cassandra Oxendine said.
“We haven’t lost any business or anything like that,” Oxendine added. Taco Bell in Pembroke is open every day from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. On Friday and Saturdays the drive-thru hours extend until midnight.
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The print edition of The Pine Needle is published 14 times a year during the fall and spring semesters. Updated: June 18, 2008 © The University of North Carolina at Pembroke |
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