The Brookhaven Town Board convened a public hearing on Thursday to consider a proposal that has circulated for months: demolishing an existing Medford bank building and replacing it with a Taco Bell.
The plan, more formally described as a 2,118-square-foot “major restaurant with a drive-thru” and outdoor seating, immediately stirred speculation. After all, whenever a familiar storefront goes dark in any neighborhood, it rarely takes long before locals start rooting for their favorite Mexican-inspired American chain to take over.
Councilman Michael Loguercio publicly welcomed the idea, noting that any new food business would add energy to the already bustling commercial hub.
Earlier chatter about a Taco Bell rising along Route 111—often dubbed “Restaurant Row”—near the intersection of Hauppauge and Smithtown has yet to materialize.
Meanwhile, their south shore neighbor at the 700 Sills Road Plaza in Medford, anchored by Stop & Shop, appears determined to attract something, Taco Bell or otherwise.
Observers note that the property’s value makes prolonged vacancy unlikely; a less cult-beloved but still reliable option would surely emerge before the parcel sat unused.
Even areas with multiple locations to choose from within a five- to ten-minute radius are powerless to The Bell’s charm, even with the recent phenomenon of stalwart dollar-menu items ballooning to prices upwards of $3.80.
Such is the stranglehold it has had on the culture, thanks in large part to impactful press in popular media like “Demolition Man,” “Mean Girls,” “Talladega Nights,” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” to name a few.
If approved, the new Taco Bell would sit near Planet Fitness, IHOP, and Friendly’s, rounding out a cluster of familiar destinations.
Construction is estimated to cost about $1.5 million—roughly equivalent to the damage inflicted by a fevered spree order of 231,125 limited-edition Flamin’ Hot Grilled Cheese Burritos.
Cómo se dice, “payment plan?”