Local Taco, a regional restaurant chain serving tacos, will open a location in Bowling Green in late October.

Local Taco currently has three locations in the Nashville area and two in Alabama. Local Taco may be familiar to students from the Lexington area, where the first Local Taco opened.

Jess Eccher, marketing director for Local Taco, said she thinks the restaurant will be a natural fit for a college town like Bowling Green.

“Local Taco is really a neighborhood taco shop,” Eccher said. “We try to bring fresh ingredients and creative energy for friends and neighbors to get together for a good time, so we are really excited about Bowling Green.”

Eccher said that she thinks WKU students will enjoy having Local Taco in Bowling Green.

“We just built a really cool pergola outside, so it will be a really awesome vibe,” Eccher said. “Just come get a drink and hang out with your friends.”

Local Taco will be located at 430 US 31 Bypass, across from Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital, in the former home of Ying Ji Bistro.

While the menu for the Bowling Green location is still being finalized, Local Taco’s other locations serve tacos with a local flair, including Nashville hot chicken and Alabama barbecue tacos. Local Taco also serves more conventional tacos, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Students at WKU and other state universities who are familiar with Local Taco gave the restaurant positive reviews.

Jackie Thompson, a senior at the University of Kentucky, has been eating at Local Taco for four years.

“It has a nice patio and bar area,” Thompson said. “It’s a really nice place to watch the games, hang out with your friends and have a good time.”

She said she was also a fan of the food.

“They use fresh ingredients,” she said. “A lot of the vegetables they use come from local farms, and so that’s a nice substitute for some of the other places that we have around here.”

Thompson said she loves the side items at Local Taco, especially the sautéed vegetables.

Scranton sophomore Nate Brooks said he is also excited for Local Taco in Bowling Green.

“The atmosphere is really cool and unique,” Brooks said. “It was really interesting. I had a taco that had barbecue brisket on it, and it was really good. The sauce on it was wonderful.”

Brooks said he was looking forward to the opening day.

“I’m incredibly excited,” he said. “I think that it will be a great addition to the food scene in Bowling Green.”

Local Taco will offer WKU students a 10 percent discount if they show a student ID, Eccher said.

Local Taco will be looking to hire for all positions over the next several weeks. These positions include cooks, servers and bartenders, according to the Local Taco website.

More information about Local Taco, including menus and job information, can be found on their website, www.localtaco.com.

Reporter Matt Stahl can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected].