Fast food restaurant in the works for Shelby

 A new Taco Bell is coming to Shelby.

The city has one restaurant already on East Dixon Boulevard and a second is planned for the former Zaxby’s location near Cleveland Mall four miles down the road.

The empty building was vacated last year when a new Zaxby's opened next door.

“We've approved a site plan for the Taco Bell at the Zaxby's location,” said Walt Scharer, planning and development services director for the city of Shelby. “We are waiting on building plans.”

Scharer said the old building will be demolished, and a new Taco Bell constructed. 

More:New Zaxby's to open Monday in Shelby

The site plans were approved within the last month, but Scharer doesn’t know when the city will receive the building plans or when construction will begin.

A spokesperson for Taco Bell confirmed Monday that they will be opening a new store at 2005 E. Dixon Blvd.  

"...it will most likely open in the Spring of 2023," the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Star. "The existing Shelby location will remain operating."

In January of 2021, a new Zaxby’s opened next door to the former one, which had been open for two decades.

“After 20 years, Zaxby's asks franchisees to upgrade their locations or build a new store. Due to the popularity of the Zaxby's and its location in Shelby, the licensee decided to build a larger, updated and more customer-friendly location the community can enjoy,” a Zaxby’s spokesman previously told The Star.

Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell in Irvine, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc.