By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
No more Kentucky Fried Chicken and no more tacoburgers. For nearly four decades, Taco Hut turned Great Bend Taco was part of the Great Bend foodscape. That changed late last week with the announcement the restaurant would be closing its doors. Former employee Daisy Jones made the big announcement on Facebook Friday, leading to sellout crowds Friday and Saturday.
"It was packed," she said of Saturday's crowd. "It was nuts. Everybody was more so sad and willing to wait for their food versus mad and angry because it so busy. They were like, 'Man, I don't care how long I have to wait since this is the last time I get to eat it.'"
Daisy spent approximately five years in three periods of employment at the restaurant. Her mother, Maria, has worked there for nearly 19 years. Randy Hayes owned and operated Great Bend Taco for 37 years prior to his death on Feb. 8. Family reached out to Maria early last week to warn of a potential close. "So they found out that Thursday, and they were closed by that Saturday," Daisy said.
Daisy's Facebook post was shared 191 times and commented on 115 times. Many shared dismay at the restaurant's closing or memories of eating there. The post also spurred a last-minute run on Great Bend Taco food. The store sold out of goods before 3 p.m. on Friday, then had to close its doors early again, this time for good, around 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
Like the food or not, Jones said part of Great Bend Taco's appeal was that throwback to a different era. "I think it was probably the nostalgic feeling you had when you walked in," she said. "It kind of never changed. People like no change when they come from places where they have to make changes in life."