Taco Bell fans will be happy to know the new restaurant at the Greater Butler Mart is open for business. Appearing at the ribbon-cutting Saturday are, from left, Butler Township Commissioner Dave Zarnick; State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st; Mickey Duska, general manager; Nate Thompson (behind); Butler Township Commissioner Sam Zurzolo (in front); James Payno, store manager; employees Jonathan Delaney and Elizabeth Rodriguez; State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th; and employees Tiana Birckbichler and Valentina Barnes. William Pitts/Butler Eagle
William Pitts
BUTLER TWP — In the span of less than a week, the Greater Butler Mart shopping complex on Litman Road has gained two new fast-food establishments.
Two days after McDonald’s reopened after being torn down and rebuilt from the ground up, Taco Bell held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest location on Litman Road.
Some big names from Butler County politics were on hand for the ribbon-cutting, including Butler Township commissioners Dave Zarnick and Sam Zurzolo, as well as state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, and state Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th.
Both new restaurants have been in the works for more than a year, after receiving approval from the Butler County Planning Commission in May 2022. The Taco Bell sits on the former site of a gas station, a site which required extensive environmental cleanup before construction on the new restaurant could begin.
“They’ve turned this around quite rapidly to make vast improvements to this section of our township,” Zarnick said. “When you’re coming down Route 8, you’ll see the vast improvements that these franchises have made in Butler Township.”
The Taco Bell actually began serving customers on Thursday, but Saturday morning served as the formal opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting.
The new restaurant features several customer-facing gadgets, which are just starting to appear in fast-food establishments, such as self-service payment kiosks that allow customers to order food without going through a line.
While the McDonald’s next door was able to retain most of its employees or pull in staff from other area locations, the new Taco Bell has had to look far and wide for its labor.
“We have TalentReef, and we have this thing called WorkStream where we get our applications from. They all applied through one of those two outlets,” said general manager Mickey Duska. “Everybody is brand new, and we trained them at the other Taco Bell (at Moraine Pointe Plaza).”
Store manager James Payno hails from Michigan and previously served as a general manager at a Qdoba Mexican Eats in the Wovlerine State. He came to Butler to take the job on the advice of his brother.
“My brother went to school out here,” said Payno. “He’d been out here for 10-plus years, and he had an opportunity down here with the company, and they asked me to come out here.”
According to Duska, there are currently 30 employees at the new location. They are not done recruiting yet, as ads for new employees are plastered all over the new building with generous employment offers.
Those interested in employment at Taco Bell can visit in person and inquire within to apply.
