Taco Bell, Deland, FL US

http://www.beacononlinenews.com/dailyitem.php?itemnum=683   DeLand Taco Bell gone after fire; will be rebuilt

BEACON PHOTOS/PAT HATFIELD Going, going, GONE! — Here's the South DeLand Taco Bell as it appeared (top) by late afternoon March 13, and with "back soon" signs displayed March 12 and, finally, on the evening of March 3, after a kitchen fire. Now the fast-food restaurant was a heap of rubble. Taco lovers should not despair — the manager said a brand-new Taco Bell will be in place soon. Published 3-14-2008 By Pat Hatfield BEACON STAFF WRITER The Taco Bell at 1201 S. Woodland Blvd. will reopen in about 90 days, as a brand-new store, general store manager Kim Brown told The Beacon. The store has been closed since March 3, when a grease fire flamed up from a deep-fat fryer, damaging the ceiling and roof. The store also suffered smoke damage. Firefighters from DeLand, Orange City and Volusia County quickly responded to the alarm at 7:09 p.m. March 3, and put out the fire. The store was evacuated immediately when the fire alarm sounded, and no one was injured. The South DeLand store, built in the early 1970s, was the oldest Taco Bell in the area, and corporate officials had already been discussing rebuilding the store, Brown said. "They're going to go ahead and rebuild," Brown said. "They said it's going to take about 90 days." She said officials decided rebuilding would be more cost effective than making repairs, then rebuilding a short time later. Brown said she's been floating between work at the North DeLand Taco Bell and one in Daytona Beach, and so have South DeLand Taco Bell employees, as they wait for their home store to be rebuilt. "It's my understanding it's going to be the same size. It's going to be brand new, so that will be even better," Brown said. - pat@beacononlinenews.com