Leadville is one of a kind.  The rustic charm that transports you back to days of old, free of high-rise hotel chains and Starbucks, is being threatened.  Leadville is special for its lack of corporate development.  Tourism is the lifeblood of this town.  Without skiers/snowboarders in the winter, bikers/runners/hikers in the summer,  and hunters in the fall - many of our local restaurants would not be able to stay afloat.  We've lost 2 of our 3 indoor Mexican food dining establishments over the last two years.  Pastime Bar and the Golden Burro also just shut down.  Both food trucks are gone.  The locals are just climbing their way out of the hole that Covid put them in - and now Taco Bell wants to come to town.  We already have a drive through Mexican food place run and owned by locals and its good, affordable, and they serve drinks.  

Taco Bell, with their deep corporate pockets, is offering to pay wages that will further raise the cost of running other restaurants in town. Taco Bell's impact doesn't end there.  Local restaurants will lose employees and end up having to increase pay to retain or attract new ones.  Those costs will be passed on to customers (that means you too locals).  So, even if you never eat at Taco Bell, your cost of eating out will increase.  Continuing down the logic train - this will undoubtably lead to more restaurant failures (less options) as well as a higher cost of entry for anyone brave enough to stick their neck out and open a restaurant.  So what does that mean down the road?  Perhaps corporations with deep pockets will be the only ones who can afford the expenditure.  I prefer to spend my hard earned money at establishments that have a direct tie to the community.  Any profit Taco Bell makes at the expense of our town will be siphoned out of our community.  When locals businesses succeed a large portion of that money is reinvested in the community.  When corporations succeed a large portion of that money is divested from the community.  We, as a small non-resort mountain town, have to be smart about this.  

On top of increased operating costs and end user pricing, where are the 30+ employees going to come from?  Local restaurants are already struggling to hire enough employees. Business owners often have to get creative to retain employees through the slow times, let alone stay in business.  Long time residents have seen restaurants struggle and fail.  Those who have worked in the industry know how difficult it can be to find good, reliable cooks and employees.  Taco Bell in Leadville will only make it harder on the locals.  

Furthermore, when, say, a high school kid gets hired at a small restaurant they learn about more than just their position.  They often work closely with managers and/or owners and learn about other facets of the business that can help them down the road.  They cover for other employees when someone is sick and learn a new skill.  A corporate cookie cutter job at Taco Bell, where you're a cog in a machine, will not teach the same lessons. Your kids deserve better than Taco Bell.  Leadville can and already is doing better than Taco Bell.

What about trash?  Can you think of an establishment that creates more trash than a fast food place? Every item comes individually wrapped, then there are straws, straw wrappers, paper bags, sauce packets, napkins.  Leadville already has trash issues.  Also consider that most Taco Bell customers will not be locals who care about our environment and a percentage of them will litter.  Do you want to see a Taco Bell wrapper floating down the Arkansas while you're fly fishing or rafting?  

What about health and the environment?  Taco Bell's wrappers currently contain environmentally damaging PFAS, Phthalates, and BPA - which also aren't great for people.

How about traffic?  Taco Bell did a traffic study on a Tuesday, in February, during a pandemic.  That is a perfect example of how little they care about, and how little they care to know about, our little town.  Remember there is an entire development on the other side of the highway from Taco Bell's proposed location that is in progress and will add greatly to the traffic at the intersection.  They didn't even mention that in their study.  

Don't let greed and corporations ruin the Leadville charm. Let's save what keeps  Leadville historic and unique.  A Taco Bell couldn't survive in Salida.  It has no place in Leadville.  Thank you for your support.