Echo News Echo News
By Rebecca Peppiatt
The opening of American fast food giant Taco Bell in Midland this week caused major traffic issues as locals were determined to be among the first to try it out.
Midland was chosen to be home of the first Western Australian branch of the Mexican-inspired food chain, with a second store set to open next year in Ellenbrook.
As the restaurant opened its doors at 10am on Wednesday, there were already scores of people lined up waiting to be the first in the door, with some having waited all night.
Aveley resident James Corby, who grew up in New Orleans, was camped outside the restaurant from 7pm Tuesday, 15 hours ahead of its scheduled opening.
He was fittingly the franchise’s first customer after lobbying the company for four years to open a branch in Western Australia.
“I fell in love with Taco Bell as a kid and the love never went away,” he told Echo News.
“So when I saw they were on the east coast I kind of thought, why not here?”
But the traffic queue from people trying to get into the drive thru caused serious issues on the corner of Lloyd Street and Great Eastern Highway, where the restaurant sits, hours after the shop opened.
“I couldn’t get around the corner at all around lunch time,” said Geoff, from Bellevue.
“I didn’t want to get any food, I was just trying to get home but it was a nightmare.
“I didn’t even know what was going on but they need to do something about the amount of people going in there before there’s an accident.”
People were still lining the street waiting to be served after 5pm.
