Taco Bell’s proposed arrival in Whanganui remains a mystery

A year after being granted consent to build a Taco Bell on Whanganui’s Victoria Ave, Restaurant Brands cannot confirm when, or even if, the restaurant will be built.

A spokesperson for the company told the Whanganui Chronicle there was no “confirmed timelines as to when the site will be built on”.

“Restaurant Brands does own the site, and will be building there in the future; however, no timelines have been finalised nor have they confirmed if it will be Taco Bell specifically.”

In May 2022 Restaurant Brands applied to Whanganui District Council for consent to build a single-storey Taco Bell store with a drive-through.

The 437-441 Victoria Ave site where the planned Taco Bell store would go. Photo/ Bevan Conley

The consent was granted in September that year.

In the consent application to the council, Restaurant Brands applied to carry out earthworks within the drip line of a protected London plane tree.

The plans for the store included nine queuing spaces in the drive-through as well as 51 restaurant seats inside the store.

The spokesperson said this week they were unable to give “any specifics” as they did not want to “disappoint our fans” if the timelines ended up being different.

There “haven’t been any setbacks” and it was “just part of the process of building”.

The site has remained empty since 2013, when the Caroline’s Celtic restaurant and bar burned down.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.