Taco Bell — Restaurant in Petal

Short version: Save yourself some time: Go buy a menu item from Petal and then go buy the same thing from Hattiesburg. The whole experience is different at each location.

Longer version: In Hattiesburg: they cared enough to ask ME if they had remembered straws in my bag. They knew what I ordered. The food quality, the amount, the freshness, even the presentation, are all spot on. The employees are alert, professional, and nice.

In Petal: They hand me drinks and then ask me what else I'm waiting on. They forget the straws. They assure me that they got the #8 when the math just isn't adding up; almost as if they just aren't in the business of making money and selling me underbuilt dorito supremes. The food is often stale. They measure in teaspoons where Hattiesburg measures in tablespoons. Stingy with chicken, steak, and everything. Stingy with food. As if instructed to sell an empty shell. I've wrote about this before. The fact is: after 15 years and thousands as a patron, I'm done. I have to vow never to eat here again.

P.S: The other day we were in hattiesburg. Needed lunch. Almost went to Sweet Peppers since their southwest kaysadilla is the bees knees. But then the most amazing thing came over me. I was near a Taco Bell that had always treated me fairly and didn't completely suck. Got the street tacos. It's the latest specialty and it was mmm so good! Told my wife if I had bought the same thing in Petal it would've been a totally different experience. I tell you what though: maybe I just got lucky the 10 times I've been to H'burg Taco Bell in the same 15 years, but I don't think any of those trips were bad experiences. Meanwhile, Petal Taco Bell was decent till about 2016ish. A good first couple hundred experiences were good. Then service went off a cliff in 2020 and it's been straight in the gutter ever since. About 90% of my experiences there are horrible and it no longer even comes as a surprise. As a matter of fact: on the rare case that a Petal Taco Bell trip doesnt blow up in my face, I'm surprised. It blows up the rear regardless. 🤣 How in the world can the same franchise achieve such contrast in quality and customer service between 2 stores less than 15 miles apart? ........ I just ate the street tacos again from Petal. Almost no chicken on them at all. Nevermind the customer service or anything else. This place has robbed me for years. 😅 The chicken was overstuffed and falling out of these same street tacos in hattiesburg! And the Petal location doesn't even give a fair amount. Almost none! Go see for yourself. Compare the customer experience from start to finish. Do it! If your the owners, do it. Its almost like someone in Petal is telling employees "for every straw and cup holder you don't hand out, you save the company 3 cents on average; and remember Friday is our vegetarian chicken quesadilla day, so when a customer orders anything with meat just go over to the grill and collect all the gristle to put on it".

...That kinda coaching. The thieving kind.

Well no more Petal Taco Bell. This is...

Wednesday night 11/23 I went inside the store to place an order, the drive through was empty as well as the lobby. After standing at the counter for 5 minutes I was told I had to use the kiosk, that nobody could take my order. I ordered a drink, tacos and nacho bell grande, 12 minutes After placing my order I was told they did not have beef but could substitute the beef for steak or chicken. They had beef for the tacos but not the nachos which is confusing. I asked for a full refund since I would have to go elsewhere for food anyways at this point. I paid $18.69 in total and was given $13.75 back. When I told them I paid more but the kiosk doesn’t print receipts I showed the transaction off of my banking app and was still being asked for a receipt. After waiting an additional 5 minutes I was finally given the rest of my refund. I just don’t understand how Taco Bell can have beef for one item but not for another ITS TACO BELL 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️ how you run out of beef for only nachos like it’s different meat ???? And how is the world is anybody going to tell me I didn’t pay as much as I was saying when I had the transaction pulled up on my phone ??? All around HORRIBLE service. As a former GM and shift manager for multiple restaurants I understand people call out the day before the day of and after holidays; but do not refuse proper service just because you’re short handed. If y’all can’t handle the heat get out...

I arrived at the Taco Bell in Petal, MS at 8:30pm on 12/24/21, after looking at Christmas lights with my family. Knowing that the store had listed hours as closing at 9pm, we assumed this would be plenty of time. When we arrived, there were 3 cars between us and the speaker, and a few more between the speaker and the windows. The line moved slowly until about 8:45, at which point it stopped progressing, but we continued to wait patiently. The line didn’t move again until 9pm, when the lights were turned off and all waiting cars were sent away. If the store was understaffed, out of food, or not willing to serve customers, that’s fine. They could just let us know. Instead, we were kept waiting, trapped in the line, until closing. This is unacceptable, and I will NOT be patronizing this location in the future, and I will likely stay away from any TB location for quite a while. As a 15 year food service manager (AGM, GM, and DM level), it’s extremely disappointing to see a store run this way, especially when it’s the only fast food option open at a given time. There were approx. 15 cars waiting to order that couldn’t tonight. Please improve going forward for your other...