Taco Bell reopens

After about a five-month transformation, the West Trenton Avenue Taco Bell is once again ready for customers. Third generation owner Matt Arthur said the restaurant closed around Aug. 1 to expand on ground the franchise already owned. With a franchise agreement coming up and the lot already owned, Arthur said it was a good time for the upgrade. "This Taco Bell is the highest volume restaurant in our organization," Arthur said. "It only had two kitchen lines and we were really busting at the seams." The goal was to tear down the restaurant, center it on the lots and maximize the combined 4,264 square feet. He said it's their first restaurant to have the dual lanes, which has had a growing interest for general establishments. Arthur said there's been issues in the past with cars being backed up onto the street. "Now, we should have plenty of room," he said. "The stack is at the back part of the lot and we can get many more cars through." Along with adding an additional kitchen line, upgrades also include seven kiosks, which he said are still to be delivered. But, the new kiosks should be in within six weeks. Arthur said the new building also includes more storage space and features to keep up with new features for the company. "We wanted to make it the newest and greatest," Arthur said. "We're really excited about it." He said a final cost for the new build is complicated and hasn't been determined yet. But, the Hancock County auditor's office values the lot to be worth about $340,000. The current manager Carolyn Krider has been with their family organization since the beginning. "She was working with my father-in-law's dad when they decided to buy the (Tiffin Avenue) restaurant," Arthur said. "She's in her 43rd year working with Taco Bell." The Findlay franchise started with Arthur's father-in-law and grandfather-in-law, the Kentris family, over 40 years ago. As of 2023, Arthur said the franchise owns about 44 restaurants; 35 in Ohio and nine in Washington. Arthur said the West Trenton Avenue store is their flagship store, being the closest to their headquarters on North Main Street.