THUNDER BAY – It’s almost time for Thunder Bay diners to Live Mas.
Taco Bell will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, marking a return to the city for the first time in more than a decade.
Franchisee Steve Pereira, director of operations at Redberry Taco Bell, said customers have been coming to the restaurant for weeks hoping for a tasty Mexican meal, underscoring his decision to open the store at the Arthur Street Marketplace.
“It’s another new community in our journey to grow Taco Bell across Canada,” Pereira said. “We’re super excited to bring Taco Bell to Thunder Bay. We’ve heard it loud and clear from the people of this great city of Thunder Bay that they’re ready for us and we’re ready for them.”
Founded south of the border in 1962, Taco Bell operated in Thunder Bay in the early 2000s and was also at SilverCity for about a decade.
Pereira said he’s excited for opening day, the doors expected to open on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
“We’re super excited to have the residents of Thunder Bay come in here, meet our team, try our great food and Live Mas,” he said.
Mayor Ken Boshcoff gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to the new venture.
“As Taco Bell opens its doors, it also opens new employment avenues for our residents, supporting our local workforce,” he said in a release.
The company’s newest restaurant is Redberry’s 17th Taco Bell restaurant in Canada and the company has agreements to open 200 new Taco Bell restaurants across the country over the next eight years.
Pereira said the 1101 Arthur St. location is the only one planned for the city at the moment, but added if the public shows the demand, he’s not opposed to other locations down the road. Redberry also operates three Burger King restaurants in the city.
Taco Bell will offer dine-in, take-out, pickup and delivery services through the Taco Bell app, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Skip the Dishes.
