Even more Taco Bells coming to Fresno area. Will missing location return?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Taco Bell will open behind the Valero at Barstow and First and it won't have a drive-thru.
- The Clovis Taco Bell near Temperance and Owens Mountain Parkway is almost finished.
- The franchisee said they are still looking for land around Blackstone and McKinley.
Last week, The Bee broke the news that a new Taco Bell was coming to central Fresno, not far from Hoover High.
Now we’ve got even more Taco Bell news, including a new location coming to Clovis and the possibility that the one torn down at McKinley and Blackstone avenues in Fresno might return at a new location.
Yes, we know Taco Bell is not real Mexican food. And, yes, we have plenty of locally owned authentic Mexican restaurants in town. But lots of people love Taco Bell’s fast food as a late-night indulgence, so here’s a look at what’s happening with the chain in the Fresno area.
First, a recap: Taco Bell is planning to open a restaurant behind the Valero at Barstow Avenue and First Street.
It won’t have a drive-thru. It’s the first in Fresno of its type.
Work hasn’t started yet, and it may not open until the beginning of next year.
Clovis Taco Bell
But a Taco Bell in Clovis is almost finished.
This is one is near Temperance Avenue and Owens Mountain Parkway, next to the existing center with several quick-service restaurants in it, including McDonald’s. It’s not far from Clovis Community Hospital, and not to be confused with the center under construction just north of Owens Mountain Parkway, which will have a 7-Eleven, Chipotle and an express location of Phoenician Garden Mediterranean Bar and Grill.
This Taco Bell will have a drive-thru.
It’s expected to open around Thanksgiving, according to a franchisee representative.
What about the Blackstone and McKinley Taco Bell?
Some readers may remember the Taco Bell that used to sit next to the Dutch Bros Coffee at the northeast corner of Blackstone and McKinley avenues.
It closed last year, along with the Carl’s Jr. across the street. Both have since been torn down (the Carl’s Jr. burned first). Eventually, the Dutch Bros Coffee will close, too.
All are on the corner where the city plans to majorly revamp the intersection, dropping the street by 25 feet to allow cars to pass below the train tracks. The project was announced by city officials in 2023 due to high train and vehicle traffic, numerous fatalities and serious accidents.
When asked if Taco Bell would ever reopen in another location in the area, Gustavo Romero, regional vice president of operations for the franchisee, said, “We’re still looking for land around there.”
Taco Bell has rebuilt after one of its restaurants was destroyed before. A Taco Bell near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue was torn down to make way for high-speed rail years ago. It was rebuilt north of its old location, closer to the freeway entrance, in 2023.
This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Even more Taco Bells coming to Fresno area. Will missing location return?."
