--- title: Fake Vigil Held for Closed Taco Bell in Montgomery, Alabama description: Over 100 people gathered for a fake vigil in Montgomery, Alabama after a Taco Bell closed down from a fire. canonical: https://time.com/5113535/taco-bell-montgomery-fake-vigil/ author: Lena Grossman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-22T23:14:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:49:57.451Z og:title: A Hundred People Gathered for a Fake Vigil for a Taco Bell og:description: The owners of this Taco Bell were 'overwhelmed by the displays of support' og:url: https://time.com/5113535/taco-bell-montgomery-fake-vigil/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt460b1853969305fd/6988f90e8fd2ee2b6635a65d/taco-bell-fake-vigil-montgomery.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Yum! Brands Inc. Restaurants Ahead Of Earnings Figures og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Hundred People Gathered for a Fake Vigil for a Taco Bell twitter:description: The owners of this Taco Bell were 'overwhelmed by the displays of support' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt460b1853969305fd/6988f90e8fd2ee2b6635a65d/taco-bell-fake-vigil-montgomery.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # More Than 100 People Gathered for a Fake Vigil After Beloved Taco Bell Caught on Fire by [Lena Grossman](https://time.com/author/lena-grossman/) ## Lena Grossman Jan 22, 2018 11:14 PM UTC  Signage stands outside a Yum! Brands Inc. Taco Bell restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Sept. 27, 2016. Signage stands outside a Yum! Brands Inc. Taco Bell restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Sept. 27, 2016.Luke Sharrett—Bloomberg /Getty Images by [Lena Grossman](https://time.com/author/lena-grossman/) ## Lena Grossman Jan 22, 2018 11:14 PM UTC The [government may have shut down](http://time.com/5112818/government-shutdown-ends-democrats/), but that didn’t stop patrons of the Montgomery, Alabama [Taco Bell](http://time.com/4835446/taco-bell-wedding/) from holding a candle vigil for the [fast food restaurant](http://time.com/4838833/fast-food-logos/) after it caught on fire. Fans of the Doritos Locos Tacos, Crunchwrap Supreme and other Taco Bell staples gathered in the restaurant’s parking lot on Sunday night after the location caught on fire on January 17, Associated Press [reports](https://www.apnews.com/4abd547fa2a04782991676206840c727/Joke-vigil-for-burned-Taco-Bell-draws-more-than-100). More than a hundred people attended the event, which went viral via [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/events/170423290396948/). Attendees were invited to “stand together in the loss of our beloved taco bell.” For the organizer of the event and subsequent mourners of all things Cheese Gordita Crunch-related, the vigil was seen as a moment to reflect on something wonderful in light of current events. “It just gave people something to talk about other than all the negativity that’s going on right now,” organizer Katie James told AP. > [](https://twitter.com/KimmyJinPP/status/954107421890433024) It wouldn’t be college without a rivalry: people were throwing shade at some of Taco Bell’s competitors, including [Arby’s](http://time.com/money/4912007/arbys-game-of-thrones-turkey-leg/) and Waffle House. Ashley Nicole Portis noted that Waffle House was nearby, but “sometimes they’re out of waffles. At Taco Bell, they’re never out of tortillas.” > [](https://twitter.com/itsmelissabrown/status/955252761427349505) In a [statement](http://www.wsfa.com/story/37307429/owners-of-zelda-road-taco-bell-release-statement-against-vigil), the owners of this Taco Bell location said they were “overwhelmed by the displays of support.” The Taco Bell is still closed due to it being “an active investigation site,” but that didn’t stop vigil-goers from feasting in fast food. 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