KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — North Knoxville may be scruffy and scuffed. But it loves its Taco Bell.
Word this week that the longtime fast-food favorite had been torn down in front of Broadway Shopping Center set off consternation on social media pages, including the 3,400-strong Facebook page Friends of the “Fellini” (North Knox) Kroger. The Broadway grocery store is a landmark in the area known for its history and its colorful clientele.
On Tuesday morning, Jennifer Thompson sent WBIR a note: “Has anyone seen the Taco Bell on Broadway? It’s destroyed.”
Was it possible the restaurant that’s handed out so many late-night, drive-thru relief is really gone?
The short answer appears to be, No.
City planning and inspections officials said Tuesday the tear-down has been in the works for awhile. And while the planning office hasn’t gotten new plans for the site, a building is indeed planned in its place that appears to be – yes – another Taco Bell.