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While an online petition by the business owner racks-up signatures, customers bemoan the prospect of losing their favourite taco place. The owners of the Dilworth Shopping Centre plan to put a Starbucks franchise in the location that's been a TacoTime for over 40 years, but it won't happen without some push back from business owners and some very disappointed diners.
It didn't take long for the online petition against the demolition of the TacoTime at HWY 97 and Leckie to surpass its original goal of a thousand signatures.
The goal has since been increased. Along with the petition, Ray Heathcote, the owner of the soon-to-be-displaced store, asks the question: "Is a cup of coffee worth 40 years of tacos?"
Council approved the redevelopment of the property into a drive-through Starbucks in June.
But Heathcote is pushing back publicly, saying he has never missed a payment, and he's been a great tenant. On the petition page, he writes: "Longstanding businesses deserve more than a pat on the back and a kick in the butt from corporations that aren’t part of your community."
A printed message posted at the restaurant suggests the owner is willing to fight to stick around. "Our Super Burritos may have a soft shell," says the message printed beneath a TacoTime logo, "but you can be sure our resolve is much harder."
"It's gonna be kind of a drag that they're maybe gonna close 'er down," said one customer we spoke to. "Honestly, there's so many Starbucks around," said another. "Very disappointed to hear that," chipped-in another TacoTime regular, "and hoping it doesn't happen."
Will any of this make any difference to the owners of the strip mall? We have been seeking comment from Dilworth Shopping Centre Co-owners, Premise Properties, and the Peterson Group. Those companies purchased the property last March.
If the redevelopment plans go through, the HWY 33 TacoTime will become the only one remaining in Kelowna.
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