Taco Bell in Ames... CLOSED???

Al_4_State

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Thats why at 2am on any given weekend there are long lines at the drive throughs at the burger king and the mcdonalds on duff.

Nothing like the lines at Flying Burrito, Jeff's, Jimmy John's, or any of the carts on Welch.

Or I'd assume. I've never gone to Burger King or McDonalds on a weekend @ 2AM in Ames.
 

HILLCYD

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I try not to base my standards of fine dining on the number of people in line at 2am in Campus Town. That being said...if you go to McDonalds or BK I guess you are a square.
 

SCNCY

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Nothing like the lines at Flying Burrito, Jeff's, Jimmy John's, or any of the carts on Welch.

Or I'd assume. I've never gone to Burger King or McDonalds on a weekend @ 2AM in Ames.

Although, you would assume that the lines at anyone of these places within reasonable walking distance of the bars would have long lines as well. There are lines at these current establishments because of the lack of food in campus town to begin with. Really, campus town could use a fast food burger joint and maybe one more place.
 

hawkeye_t

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I remember going there like my soph year of college and ordering Mexi-melts. They told me their steamer was broken and they would have it fixed soon. They never got it fixed the entire time I was at ISU. That and the unbelievable filthe around the garbage cans always made me wonder how well the store was doing. That was about 8-9 years ago so they must have made a little coin.
 

drednot57

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The only thing I do not like about Taco Bell moving is the fact that another business is leaving the campus town area. I am excited about the campus town revitalization, but it seems to get harder as businesses want to move out of campus town.
The Ames City Council needs to do something seriously about the parking situation in Campustown. That's why most people outside of Campustown won't shop there. A large, conveniently located, multi-level parking garage would do wonders for revitalizing Campustown shopping. Even so, the City of Ames receives the same tax revenue whether a business is in Campustown, or elsewhere in Ames like South Duff or Somerset. I kind of doubt the City Council will seriously consider any major improvements in Campustown parking because the where the tax base is located.
 

jdoggivjc

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The Ames City Council needs to do something seriously about the parking situation in Campustown. That's why most people outside of Campustown won't shop there. A large, conveniently located, multi-level parking garage would do wonders for revitalizing Campustown shopping. Even so, the City of Ames receives the same tax revenue whether a business is in Campustown, or elsewhere in Ames like South Duff or Somerset. I kind of doubt the City Council will seriously consider any major improvements in Campustown parking because the where the tax base is located.

You're kidding, right? This is the same anti-growth city council that for the last decade has refused to allow that mall on I-35 to be built on the grounds that it would kill all the overpriced downtown stores, and as a result Ames continues to lose a goldmine of tax dollars from surrounding communities to Des Moines...
 

drednot57

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You're kidding, right? This is the same anti-growth city council that for the last decade has refused to allow that mall on I-35 to be built on the grounds that it would kill all the overpriced downtown stores, and as a result Ames continues to lose a goldmine of tax dollars from surrounding communities to Des Moines...
and Ankeny. Anyway, what do you mean I'm kidding? I wrote that I doubt the City Council would seriously consider improving Campustown parking because of where the tax base is located, i. e. South Duff.
 

SCNCY

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The Ames City Council needs to do something seriously about the parking situation in Campustown. That's why most people outside of Campustown won't shop there. A large, conveniently located, multi-level parking garage would do wonders for revitalizing Campustown shopping. Even so, the City of Ames receives the same tax revenue whether a business is in Campustown, or elsewhere in Ames like South Duff or Somerset. I kind of doubt the City Council will seriously consider any major improvements in Campustown parking because the where the tax base is located.

There will be parking in campus town in the future. The university parking lot by usbank and the church there is going to be a transit center. It is going to be funded by the Federal Government by some grant. They did not get all the money they wanted, but the top priorities were parking lots, a transportation station for Cyride (buses will stop and begin their routes) and bike racks.

Also, in my opinion, campus town will always be for the students. I don't think we will see any shopping in Campustown that the greater Ames community will want. However, there is potential for some good sport bars that the greater Ames community might be interested in, but thats only if there was a greater emphasis on food rather than just being bar.
 

CYlent Bob

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This is a travesty. What's next? Tear down the Taj Mahal and put up a Starbucks?

I remember my first meal at the Taco Bell. I got wicked drunk during a football game during the fall of '86, passed out in my room at Larch Hall, and woke up to an empty dorm floor at about 1am. I mean COMPLETELY deserted. No drunks making noise, nobody studying, NOTHING. Everyone was gone. I rode my bicycle past Campustown to the only place that was still serving food, TACO BELL! Three tacos and a bean burrito later, and I was on my way home.

Good times, man. Good times.

(although.......now that I think about it........Tasty Tacos kicks the HELL out of Taco Bell. Anyone remember when they used to be open in the building North of the Quik Trip on Welch?)
 

majorcyfan

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Seemed like they did decent business there...

Not sure that they did as they wouldn't honor some of the TV specials pricing Example is one TV burrito special at 99 cents was $1.19 there.
Too much competition right around them I'd say.
 

CYlent Bob

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I can name five or six places in the Des Moines metro area alone that make the Campustown Taco Bell look like the mess hall at West Point by comparison. It doesn't make that old Taco Bell any cleaner, but it does make all the "dirtiest restaraunt EVER" comments look like exaggeration.
 

JP4CY

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Yeah, used to have Burger King, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Panchero's, and Home Team that are gone. Is DQ still there?

And Hardees, Do Biz, Maid Rite, Quiznos, Minskys, Luckys Pizza all within the last 10ish years.
 

LindenCy

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And Hardees, Do Biz, Maid Rite, Quiznos, Minskys, Luckys Pizza all within the last 10ish years.

Yeah, true, although some of those weren't in campustown. I really did like the Maid Rite and Hardees at the mall.
 

Tornado man

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I knew the Taco Time, Tasty Taco, Taco Tico > responses would show up, but that was fast.

Taco Time once had a location in Campustown, on Chamberlain between Welch and Hayward. If they opened up a store somewhere close to that again, it would make a killing.
I love Taco Time.
 

theshadow

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And Hardees, Do Biz, Maid Rite, Quiznos, Minskys, Luckys Pizza all within the last 10ish years.

Wasn't there a Mr. Goodcents (subs) just a couple of doors down from Do-Biz (current Jimmy John's location)?

And the non-corporate (i.e., awesome) Panchero's that occupied the current Mickey's location.
 

theshadow

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Yeah, true, although some of those weren't in campustown. I really did like the Maid Rite and Hardees at the mall.

The Keg Shop -- er, Campustown Liquors(?) -- is in the old Hardee's building. I think you can still see a faded remnant on one of the signs in/near their parking lot.