TACO BELL ON EAST SANTA FE SET FOR INTERIOR, EXTERIOR MAKEOVER

TACO BELL ON EAST SANTA FE SET FOR INTERIOR, EXTERIOR MAKEOVER

OLATHE, Kan. — The Taco Bell along East Santa Fe is preparing for a makeover that could give the longtime restaurant a noticeably different look inside and out.

The restaurant at 1117 E. Santa Fe St. received a commercial building permit from the city of Olathe on Oct. 9 for what city records describe as an “interior & exterior” remodel.

Exactly what will change at the Olathe restaurant has not yet been detailed publicly, but the project comes as Taco Bell has spent years moving away from the largely identical restaurant designs that once characterized the chain.

Taco Bell has been experimenting with more distinctive restaurant interiors designed to make dining rooms feel more modern and inviting, rather than focusing almost entirely on drive-thru traffic.

Those concepts have included warmer materials, open-kitchen elements, digital menu boards, localized artwork and more dramatic ceiling and lighting treatments. Taco Bell has used several design themes in recent years, including Heritage, Modern Explorer, California Sol and Urban Edge.

The Heritage design draws on Spanish Mission-style Taco Bell restaurants from earlier decades, while Modern Explorer uses wood-grain finishes and a more open-kitchen feel. California Sol emphasizes brighter interiors and an indoor-outdoor appearance, while Urban Edge uses a more contemporary, city-inspired design.

It is not yet clear whether the East Santa Fe restaurant will receive one of those specific designs or a newer Taco Bell remodel package.

The Olathe permit identifies only an interior and exterior renovation and does not include architectural renderings in the information currently available.

The restaurant sits just east of Interstate 35 along one of Olathe’s busiest commercial corridors.

The permit information does not indicate whether Taco Bell will remain open while construction is underway or whether a temporary closure will be necessary. A construction schedule and completion date also have not been announced.

For customers who have watched Taco Bell update restaurants across the country, the permit suggests the East Santa Fe location could soon look quite a bit different.