Taco Bell is coming to Stonefields

Taco Bell is opening two new restaurants in New Zealand as it accelerates its expansion across the country.

Less than a year after opening its first store in New Zealand, in Auckland's New Lynn, the popular US fast food chain is set to open two new outlets in the North Island this summer - one in the Auckland suburb of Stonefields and the other on the outskirts of Hamilton.

Both new locations will double Taco Bell’s presence in New Zealand, with the Hamilton outlet a drive-through.

The chain’s local operator, Restaurant Brands, is planning 60 new Taco Bell restaurants across Australia and New Zealand in the next five years.

The brand's presence is expected to lure new tenants to the new retail developments from which they have leased space.

The leases for the new outlets - at Stoneridge on Lunn, on the edge of Stonefields, and at the Taupiri Service Centre, just outside Hamilton on the Waikato Expressway - were brokered by Colliers International.

Colliers broker Alan Pracy, who secured the Taupiri Service Centre lease, said chain was proving to be a major drawcard.

“This will be the first Taco Bell in New Zealand to offer drive-through service. The Taupiri Service Centre is already anchored by a BP service station and a McDonald’s restaurant, but the addition of Taco Bell will reinforce the strength of the location.”

Colliers International is marketing the Taupiri Service Centre’s remaining retail tenancies for lease. Units of between 80sq m to 350sq m are available, with completion of the new retail block expected in December.

Justin Oliver, of Colliers Hamilton, said the available leases were a chance for retailers to capitalise on Taco Bell’s appeal. “This is an ideal opportunity for convenience retailers such as a cafe, bakery, sushi shop, or local produce grocer,” he said.

Stoneridge on Lunn, which sits at the corner of Lunn Avenue and Ngahue Drive in Stonefields, is anchored by The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery, Noel Leeming and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Leroy Wolland, national director of retail at Colliers International, said Taco Bell was a perfect fit for the area.

“Taco Bell may be new entrant to New Zealand’s retail scene, but it is already a full-blown phenomenon. Its restaurants at Brickworks in New Lynn and Shortland Street in Auckland’s CBD have been immensely popular, drawing diners from far and wide.

“Taco Bell’s decision to open a third Auckland store at Stoneridge on Lunn highlights both the quality of the development and the desirability of the location.”

Colliers is also marketing the remaining retail space at Stoneridge. Retail broker Nick Pettitt said the tenancies would appeal to a wide variety of convenience retailers.