Hide your cat! Taco Bell is gonna open in Japan!

[Taro Toporific]

Taco Bell plans to open 1,300 restaurants overseas
Nation's Restaurant News | Dec. 4, 2014
...Taco Bell Corp. on Thursday announced changes to its international leadership team, kicking off a growth push to add 1,300 locations overseas...Parent company YUM! Brands Inc., however, is planning to change that domestic focus by turning Taco Bell into more of a globe trotter, alongside world-spanning sister chains KFC and Pizza Hut...
...Taco Bell will look for experienced franchise operators around the globe, with an emphasis on Europe (United Kingdom and Poland), Asia (Korea, Japan and Thailand) and Latin America (Chile and Peru)...more...

taco-bell-cat.jpg

[Coligny]

It can't possibly make my life more miserable than the local tap water...

[matsuki]

They better have this tasty abomination...

[Russell]

I will certainly try it out.

[yanpa]

Three questions: what is Taco Bell? Why should I care? What has it got to do with cats?

[kurogane]

Taco Bell is a franchise operaton that specialises in Mexican flavoured food like products. They do a nicely nasty Gordito, if I remember. I prefer food in my food so I usually go to a Mexican place that serves it, and if you prefer to do likewise you needn't care at all. And as a general cultural complaint, any US'er that patronises a place like Taco Bell in a land fairly pregnant with fantastic cheap Mexican run by little ole Bella Mamacitas that give you extra beans if you smile and speak clearly..............is nutzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Taro Toporific]

Three questions: what is Taco Bell? Why should I care? What has it got to do with cats?

Q1) Taco Bell is a crappy-but-affordable Mexican fast food chain.
Q2) The lack of affordable Mexican food makes Japan a sad, sad place.
Q3) Cats are rumored to be the meat in Taco Bell tacos.

taco-cat.jpg

[kurogane]

Q2) The lack of affordable Mexican food makes Japan a sad place.

Speaking truth to power, man. Besides their antedeluvian attitude towards weed that is probably one of my top 5 complaints. I didn't really like LA but the plethora of those little cafes made my stay quite, quite tolerable in the eats department.

Mind, Vancouver is also surprisingly Mexican poor. There's really only Bistro style or sit down expensive stuff. The UN oughta do something about that.

[yanpa]

Three questions: what is Taco Bell? Why should I care? What has it got to do with cats?

Q1) Taco Bell is a crappy-but-affordable Mexican fast food chain.
Q2) The lack of affordable Mexican food makes Japan a sad, sad place.
Q3) Cats are rumored to be the meat in Taco Bell tacos.

OK, so not some kind of Mexican phone company.

Sounds like it will be bringing "Mexican" food to Japan in the same way McDonalds has brought "hamburgers" here.

[Coligny]

Hey at least McD's french fries in japan are delicious. The stuff they sell under that name in France is rumored to just be losely based on a mix of potato with a huge majority of chemically reconstructed synthetic crorm erzats. I can't even eat it.

[Samurai_Jerk]

And as a general cultural complaint, any US'er that patronises a place like Taco Bell in a land fairly pregnant with fantastic cheap Mexican run by little ole Bella Mamacitas that give you extra beans if you smile and speak clearly..............is nutzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That really depends on where you live. In some places it's hard to find good Mexican though things have gotten a lot better in the last 10 years or so. That being said I know a former FG from Phoenix who is obsessed with Taco Bell and would always go one about how he wished they had it in Japan. That made absolutely no fucking sense at all because Mexican food in Arizona is oo-may.

They better have this tasty abomination...

I tried one once on a trip back to the US because everyone goes on about how awesome they are. It was fucking disgusting.

[IparryU]

And as a general cultural complaint, any US'er that patronises a place like Taco Bell in a land fairly pregnant with fantastic cheap Mexican run by little ole Bella Mamacitas that give you extra beans if you smile and speak clearly..............is nutzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That really depends on where you live. In some places it's hard to find good Mexican though things have gotten a lot better in the last 10 years or so. That being said I know a former FG from Phoenix who is obsessed with Taco Bell and would always go one about how he wished they had it in Japan. That made absolutely no fucking sense at all because Mexican food in Arizona is oo-may.

They better have this tasty abomination...

I tried one once on a trip back to the US because everyone goes on about how awesome they are. It was fucking disgusting.

Being the only beaner here, i will just state that taco bell is shit quality of Mexican food.

But as stoner food, it is bomb as fuck.

Cheesy gordita crunch, nacho supreme, and a 7 layer burrito with cholula hot sauce... That was cheat day delight.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Don't get me wrong. I like me some Taco Bell after a night of heavy drinking but that Dorito thing is fucking awful. And I would never eat that shit if I lived in AZ. That would be like ordering Domino's Pizza in NYC.

[IparryU]

Don't get me wrong. I like me some Taco Bell after a night of heavy drinking but that Dorito thing is fucking awful. And I would never eat that shit if I lived in AZ. That would be like ordering Domino's Pizza in NYC.

Ya, i never really went out for Mexican food... Just went to go see my fam. But i go out for Mexican with the gf for our monthly fancy date and my sons from time to time.

I so want to have some nyc pizza. Heard it is all sorts of bomb.

[yanpa]

Hey at least McD's french fries in japan are delicious. The stuff they sell under that name in France is rumored to just be losely based on a mix of potato with a huge majority of chemically reconstructed synthetic crorm erzats. I can't even eat it.

Coligny, your English is usually excellent but it seems you are incorrectly using "delicious" to mean "less crappy than in France".

[wagyl]

Hey at least McD's french fries in japan are delicious. The stuff they sell under that name in France is rumored to just be losely based on a mix of potato with a huge majority of chemically reconstructed synthetic crorm erzats. I can't even eat it.

Coligny, your English is usually excellent but it seems you are incorrectly using "delicious" to mean "less crappy than in France".

And since they are all shipped in from the US http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/safety/quali ... n_list.pdf, and viewtopic.php?f=10&t=30524&start=90#p352318 McDonalds admits to supply problems for a few weeks, there may be a drought due to the longshoremen pursuing rights for the working class. Solidarity, comrade!

[matsuki]

taco bell is shit quality of Mexican food

That’s why I called it an abomination. As SJ is saying, if you choose Taco Bell over real Mexican, you're insane. That being said, as a "fast food option" that's open late, Taco Bell is ザっボンブ (and a often times the only edible substitute in Mehico inspired food there is if you're on the east coast)

[Coligny]

Hey at least McD's french fries in japan are delicious. The stuff they sell under that name in France is rumored to just be losely based on a mix of potato with a huge majority of chemically reconstructed synthetic crorm erzats. I can't even eat it.

Coligny, your English is usually excellent but it seems you are incorrectly using "delicious" to mean "less crappy than in France".

Let say -addictive- i often have cravings around 1-2 am if i didn't get any the day before. Same for Mc D coffee, i try to avoid it as much as possible because if I start, then i drive thrice a day to get more... for weeks on end...
And I'm not even a coffee person, I usually don't drink any at all... It screw up my cat napping patterns...

[SovietSupreme]

I too am forward looking to this!

[matsuki]

[Taro Toporific]

.
Japan's first Taco Bell has some access* problems.

Taco-Bell.jpg

*Oh and it's the first Taco Bell that's not handicapped accessible.

[Coligny]

l
MEanwhile in Calgary...

Judging by the number of truck and frequency of their GTG, the city seems quite wheelchair friendly.
(If a rc semi can go, a wheelchair will certainly too)

[matsuki]

.
Japan's first Taco Bell has some access* problems.

Taco-Bell.jpg

*Oh and it's the first Taco Bell that's not handicapped accessible.

nippppppppon sekai ichiban!

[inflames]

Taco Bell is one of those places that I want to go to simply because I can't get cheap, quick Mexican food here - it's not a place I would actually admit to going to, but I'd definitely go there once or twice.

They need to avoid some of the stuff Burger King has done though (shit like being next to McDonald's, yet nearly twice as expensive).

[matsuki]

Think of it as space-mex. It's the freeze-dried and artificially flavored Mexican inspired "food" that's part of a balanced breakfast™

[kurogane]

*Oh and it's the first Taco Bell that's not handicapped accessible.

In a strangely unsatisfying and admittedly contrarian way that's actually rather refreshing. I am all for legislating for proper design but enforced retrofitting just seems pissy and churlish given how uneconomic it might be (and probably would be for industrial spew like Taco Bell). If we all allow our Inner Spock his voice he will remind us that the needs of the many should always outweigh the needs of the few.

[Samurai_Jerk]

*Oh and it's the first Taco Bell that's not handicapped accessible.

In a strangely unsatisfying and admittedly contrarian way that's actually rather refreshing. I am all for legislating for proper design but enforced retrofitting just seems pissy and churlish given how uneconomic it might be (and probably would be for industrial spew like Taco Bell). If we all allow our Inner Spock his voice he will remind us that the needs of the many should always outweigh the needs of the few.

Retrofitting makes plenty of sense if it can be done without causing too much of a burden on the business. However, I'm not sure if that location can be retrofit. The gradient on the stairs is probably too steep for a ramp and it doesn't look like they could put one in that wraps around without blocking access to the business below.

[kurogane]

Retrofitting makes plenty of sense if it can be done without causing too much of a burden on the business.

Sure, if they want to do it and think there is a market there for it. I agree about that place and the many like them. If anything, the best solution for that place would be an easily deployed ramp cover for the stairs, or a supply of people like me who are willing and able to offer help up the stairs, though I can dig a lot of people might not like having to ask in the first place. The main problem here in Canada is retrofitting is often enforced for principle's sake, which is meddling class cat lady dogma and must be beaten like the filthy emospastic rabid dog it is. New places and all public places should be regulated to be accessible, but existing structures should be left to the owner. And due to the less conformist nature of Japanese civil society compared to our little rock, much like smoking bans that is probably how it will be resolved.

Besides, it's a Taco Bell..................... It just reminded me of those sleazy Filipina hostess bars Debuto screamed about being banned from:

IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you have the mind of an 11 year old..............

[Coligny]

Retrofitting makes plenty of sense if it can be done without causing too much of a burden on the business.

Sure, if they want to do it and think there is a market there for it.

Yes, but do you believe in the magic of the market ?

[matsuki]

like smoking bans that is probably how it will be resolved

The ones that aren't enforced? Dudes lighting up right in front of the koban here despite all the signage that say it's banned. I wouldn't care so much if it was confined to a certain area but I always end up getting crop dusted by some asshole arukitabako fucker.