This Tri-Cities restaurant is getting gutted and going digital

Construction crews have started tearing apart the Taco Bell at George Washington Way and McMurray Avenue in Richland.

The restaurant is undergoing a $1 million renovation for a stunning remodel, owner John Arthur told the Tri-City Herald.

Arthur is president of Yakima Restaurants, a family-owned operation that bought the 10 Taco Bells under its umbrella across Washington in 2014 — including the one on George Washington Way and another on Road 68 in Pasco.

Baxter Construction of Yakima recently kicked off the project that will not only redesign and expand the drive-thru, but gut the inside to will create a bright, updated and more current feel, Arthur said.

Upgrades

Along with a new color scheme, everything inside is being redone from the wallpaper to the floors and a digital menu board will be installed.

A slight expansion in the kitchen and storage areas will allow more space for the refrigerated and frozen items and the kitchen will be reconfigured, as well.

As one of the older Taco Bells in the state, Arthur believes it was built about 30 years ago. Aside from some usual maintenance and expected upgrades, he says the footprint has remained the same and there have been no major overhauls.

“We will be making up for some lost ground,” he said.

When the project is done, Arthur said the parking lot will be reconfigured, the drive-thru will be about 20 feet longer and will accommodate about twice the number of cars and include an exit lane.

The alterations will all lessen the impact and congestion for customers of other stores in the Washington Plaza shopping area that includes a Safeway, Starbucks and Hallmark store.

An outside digital menu board also will replace the older one — which will be simpler and easier to read and allow the orders to be processed more quickly, he said.

Changes

The Taco Bell corporation just announced this month menu changes to allow for an evolution of the business model during an era of a pandemic.

All stores, including the franchises that Arthur owns, must adhere to the national brand’s new menu that kicks off Nov. 5.

That includes removing items like the Mexican pizza, 7-layer burrito and shredded chicken. Newly featured dishes will include a chicken chipotle melt and a dragonfruit freeze.

“We pride ourselves as being a restaurant of efficiency. And the brand prides ourselves on speed,” he said. “What you will feel is a lot faster experience.”

Even though Arthur says he knows there are quite a few customers upset about losing their favorite choices, the more streamlined menu will not only speed up serving customers but team members will be able to learn the menu quicker and train more easily.

Also, the brand has been creating more partnerships with food-delivery services, and there will be a dedicated parking spot in the revamped parking lot for those placing online orders and doing a meal pickup.

Final details on what that looks like have not been finalized, Arthur said.

While the drive-thru is scheduled to be open toward the beginning of November — about the time the new menu rolls out — walk-in customers will have to wait until the Tri-Cities area is safe enough to reopen because of the pandemic.

“We are not having dining inside regardless of what is allowed,” Arthur said. “We are electing for the safety of our team members.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 11:42 AM.