Taco Bell on Hesperian Celebrates Grand Opening

Driving down Hesperian Boulevard on Thursday, it's difficult to miss a giant dancing hot sauce packet and colorful balloons surrounding the newly opened Taco Bell restaurant.

Mr. Saucy, as he's called, helped celebrate the grand opening of the eatery, making it Taco Bell No. 27,485 opened by the company nationwide, and the sixty-second in the Bay Area.

Along with tacos, burritos and nachos, . Nearly 2,000 job seekers had applied.

However, applications are still welcome, according to general manager Monica Schneider.

"We're always looking for great people to come and support our restaurant and brand," she said.

The new staff was trained by Taco Bell teams made up of employees and managers from neighboring locations.

The franchise owners of the new establishment also own the . Despite the short distance between the two, Schneider said there have been no talks about closing that one down.

Both feature a drive-through and the same menu items. The only major difference is the newness of the buildings.

Emily Chin,while not a regular at Taco Bell, decided to give the new restaurant a try Thursday afternoon. Even though the Taco Bell on Via Granada is closer to her home, she said she's drawn to the newer features of the one located on Hesperian.

"Maybe I'll bring my kids here, because it looks interesting," she said.

However, not everyone was as welcoming. Dan Ferrel said he'd much rather support a mom-and-pop shop.

"I don't see how it'll draw people in from other cities," Ferrel said. "It doesn't really add anything special to this area."