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Taco Bell tear-down: Demolition spurs concern among North Knoxvillians

The popular Broadway restaurant was torn down this week. It's a plan that's been in the works for weeks.
Photo: Getty Images.

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.

Credit: Facebook
Social media posts about the demolition of the Taco Bell this week.

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.

Credit: Facebook

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