While the restaurant's renovation looks great and has created a modern, welcoming atmosphere, my recent experience raised serious concerns about food safety and management practices.
I usually visit the drive-thru, but my husband and I decided to dine inside during lunch to see the newly renovated space. The restaurant was relatively quiet, with only a few customers ahead of us. We placed our order using the large self-service kiosk, which offers many customization options but may be challenging for older customers who are less comfortable with technology. Payment was cashless, requiring a debit or credit card.
After placing our order, I noticed that drive-thru orders appeared to be prioritized while dine-in customers experienced significant delays. We waited nearly 20 minutes for what is supposed to be "fast food."
While waiting, I observed several concerning issues:
There appeared to be very few employees actively preparing food during the busy lunch period, suggesting possible understaffing or poor scheduling.
A manager was instructing a new employee in a manner that came across as rude, dismissive and unprofessional.
The same manager handled food after touching cleaning supplies, equipment, and various surfaces without washing her hands or changing gloves.
Most concerning, a new employee was instructed to clean a stainless-steel surface directly above an area where uncovered food was being prepared. The employee sprayed a cleaning chemical onto the surface, and the overspray went ALL OVER THE exposed food items waiting to be bagged.
I immediately brought this to the employee's attention and explained that spraying chemicals near uncovered food poses a potential food safety risk. Although the manager instructed the employee to stop, I did not observe the affected food being discarded and replaced. Instead, the food was packaged and sent out through the drive-thru.
Having experience managing a busy restaurant and following public health food-safety standards, I found what I witnessed extremely concerning. Food safety procedures, cross-contamination prevention, and employee training should be non-negotiable.
It's disappointing because the restaurant itself looks fantastic after the renovations. Unfortunately, cosmetic improvements cannot make up for poor food-handling practices. Based on this experience, I will not be returning and hope management takes these concerns seriously by providing additional training and stronger oversight of food-safety procedures.
I attempted to contact Taco Bell directly to discuss these concerns with the General Manager or District Manager, but I was unable to find any direct contact information. The Taco Bell customer service wasn't able to take my contact to have someone call me to discuss my concerns.
My goal is not to receive free food—it's to ensure these issues are properly addressed. I would like to see management review their food safety practices, provide additional training to the shift manager on proper food handling and restaurant operations, and ensure that cleaning tasks involving chemicals are performed during slower periods rather than during peak lunch hours when exposed food is being prepared. Customers should also be able to receive their orders within a reasonable timeframe, especially during lunch service.
I hope Taco Bell takes these concerns seriously and uses them as an opportunity to improve both food safety standards and the overall customer experience.