Taco Bell Continues Binghamton-Area Expansion Push

Taco Bell's ambitious effort to expand its footprint in the Southern Tier is continuing with the start of construction at the chain's first Tioga County location.

Workers have been busy at the site of a new restaurant that's being developed in a building that previously was home to a bank.

The abandoned Chemung Canal Trust Company branch on Route 17C in the town of Owego is being renovated for the Taco Bell operation.

Chemung Canal Trust closed the bank at the site in November 2020. The place has been vacant since then.

The Owego Taco Bell will be operated by Hospitality Syracuse of Liverpool.

Company representatives have said minor alterations would be made to the existing building. One of the first changes workers made was removing a large clock that was mounted on the roof of the structure.

The new restaurant will have an outdoor seating area with a covered patio. It also will have a drive-thru window.

A Hospitality Syracuse official did not return a call seeking information on the planned opening date for the Owego Taco Bell. But the company has previously advised town planning board members that the restaurant likely would open three to four months after the start of construction.

While construction at the Tioga County site is just getting underway, work is moving quickly at another area Taco Bell project.

Haza Bell, which already operates Taco Bell restaurants in Broome County, is developing another location on Front Street in the town of Chenango. That restaurant is expected to open in July.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.