Business Community

Taco Time owner hopes to re-open in December afer renovations

The city of Gig Harbor has approved permits for renovation of the Taco Time on Point Fosdick Drive, and owner Steve Nelson said the heat is on.

The work will cost more than $1 million, and Nelson hopes it will be completed and the eatery re-opened by late December. Nelson owns 11 of the fast food restaurants that are part of Taco Time Northwest, a regional franchiser. Wilcox Construction, which has been the contractor for Nelson’s other Taco Time locations, is the contractor in charge of the work.

The Taco Time on Point Fosdick Drive will reopen in late December after a major renovation. Photo courtesy of Steve Nelson

First major renovation of Taco Time

Nelson opened the restaurant on Point Fosdick Drive 29 years ago. He’s made minor repairs since, but never a big makeover. 

Plans call for a new kitchen and dining area, exterior repairs and reconfiguring the drive-through lane.

“We have a lot of work to do in the parking area, and the drive-through is a big part of the change,” he said. “It’s a challenge for larger vehicles to handle the drive-through lane. The goal is to make it a better experience for everybody.”

Because most diners prefer to-go orders, Nelson said the dining area will be smaller than before, and the kitchen will be a bit bigger. The location sees about 10,000 customers a month, and only 15% are dine-in customers. Capacity will be 29, with eight dining tables.

“We do the majority of our business through the drive through, and since COVID that percentage has gone up,” he said. “We want to enhance the drive through, and put a canopy over the order spot.”

The Taco Time on Point Fosdick Drive will get a larger kitchen and smaller dining area. Photo courtesy Steve Nelson

Employees

Nelson offered employees temporary transfers to work at Nelson’s other Taco Time locations. He said that some preferred to move on.

“We did lose some employees,” he said. “Some couldn’t go to Port Orchard or Tacoma, so some took unemployment. We are looking to hire more in the coming months. We understand that this job isn’t easy. I give our employees a lot of credit. They deal with challenges every day. They do a lot of functions, and they have to know the menu, which is extensive.”

Nelson said ideally the location will have 25 employees, with a mixture of full time and part time.