KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Taco Bell/KFC employees scramble to keep up with orders on opening day. (Mary Donaldson photo)
Kodiak’s brand new Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell is Yum Brands first store combination of its kind in Alaska, and had it’s grand opening to the public Monday.
There was a flurry of people both in the drive through and standing in the long lines in the lobby waiting to order from Dan Rohrer’s new KFC-Taco Bell store. Debbie Rohrer is his sister and has been helping him get the new store ready for today, along with managing his Subway stores. She says business has been out the door, literally.
They have been busy taking orders since they opened their doors at 10 A.M. today, and she expects things to get even busier when lunch crowds arrived.
Rohrer says that sales have been half-and-half, with customers ordering KFC or Taco Bell equally. She said right before lunch though, they were trying to keep up with all of the large orders of chicken coming in from the customers.
Jasmine Small is a customer and says she is willing to wait in the crowded building on opening day so she can get some of the food for her kids, which will be a combination of KFC and Taco Bell menu items. She says it’s taking a while to receive her food and that she will battle the noise and long wait since her children are really excited to eat the food.
Even some of Kodiak’s youngest are excited to order from the new menus in town, and know exactly what they want, like five-year-old Owen. He seems barely old enough to comprehend what a KFC or a Taco Bell is, but he says he wants to order a taco, no wait, make that a soft taco.
The KFC-Taco Bell store will be open from 10 A.M. until midnight, operating seven days a week. Dan Rohrer is no stranger to Kodiak fast food. His company owns both Subways in town.
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