Taco Bell Hoax Leaves Small Alaska Town Devastated

Can you imagine the euphoria felt in the town of Bethel, Alaska, when the residents found out that they were getting a Taco Bell? Can you imagine the utter devastation they felt when they found out it was a hoax?

The 6,000 person town of Bethel, Alaska, got their fast food hopes up earlier this month when rumors started to circulate that a Taco Bell was coming town. Bethel doesn’t have any fast food restaurants and residents were extremely excited to cross the border at Taco Bell. (I mean, have you seen their new Cantina Bell menu?)

Chamber of Commerce director Bonnie Bradbury said:

We got excited, because we don’t have any fast food chains out here, and the idea of Taco Bell coming in? And they were going to be here for the 4thof July?”

Tatiana Dotdot, added:

“You bring a McDonald’s or a KFC, people will go crazy out here.”

But sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.

Local radio station KYUK broke the news to the town.

“I repeat: Bethel is NOT getting a Taco Bell.”

According to the LA Times, the rumor started when someone posted flyers up around town, announcing that a Taco Bell was coming to Bethel on July 4th. The flyers directed people to a fake website and gave out a fake number belonging to one of the residents.

Bradbury called the number, hoping to talk to a Taco Bell representative about the restaurant’s plans, but instead was connected to a man who was sick of answering calls about Tack Bell.

Bradbury said:

“I called it, too. They said, ‘Of course this is not Taco Bell.’ Then he kept getting phone calls, and he asked me if there was any way to stop the phone calls, they would appreciate it.”

Bethel isn’t getting a Taco Bell anytime soon but the town remains hopeful. They’ve shown that they have a strong (but small) market for fast food so maybe, in the future, a restaurant will decide to take the plunge in Bethel, Alaska.