Yallah Taco will open an expanded location in the former Taco Bell spot at 310 E. College Ave. in downtown State College.
Hitham Hiyajneh, the current owner of Yallah Taco, confirmed that his business is set to begin operating out of the location on East College Ave. Hiyajneh is unsure when exactly things will be up and running at Yallah’s new spot, but he hopes to have it open later this year.
“We’d like to open by August 1 or July 1, but with the coronavirus, we have no idea,” said Hiyajneh, who also owns Yallah Burrito, 404 E. Calder Way.
According to Hiyajneh, the new location will allow Yallah to expand its service in a number of different ways. In addition to its signature tacos and burritos, Yallah will begin serving breakfast and lunch once it opens up shop on College Avenue, and the restaurant will be open until 3 a.m. The popular spot will also begin serving “platters and more authentic Mexican food,” according to Hiyajneh.
Yallah currently operates out of a small space at 217 McAllister Alley in downtown State College. Hiyajneh said that the existing spot will remain open after the East College Avenue location opens its doors.
“College Ave. gives us a whole different exposure,” he added. “The space over there is way better in the sense that there’s more room and we can make a lot more food.”
Taco Bell closed its East College Ave. location on February 26 of this year, and Penn State students mourned the loss of Taco Bell on Twitter immediately after the news broke. They also hosted a vigil that got national attention and even got a shout-out on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Yallah Taco opened in 2016, one of several downtown eateries owned by Hiyajneh.
