--- 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=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 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=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # More Than 100 People Gathered for a Fake Vigil After Beloved Taco Bell Caught on Fire > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. 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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