Jen Brodal/MDN The north Taco John’s closed earlier this month.

Taco John’s location on north Broadway closed its doors forever on Friday, Aug 5.

Mike Sartwell, president and CEO of Preferred Restaurant Group, said it has been a decision in the works — a long-time coming.

Prior to the purchase of the first north location, the company looked into buying the central location that McDonald’s currently occupies and closing both stores to have one central location. While the central location never materialized, Sartwell said with the size of the market in Minot, one store will work best.

Preferred Restaurant Group knew they had made a bit of an “oops” in opening the second location, Sartwell said. He said they continued to operate the two locations after purchase of the store’s new north location, noticing the additional properties hurting the sales of the original south Broadway store.

Over the years, Sartwell said they made it work, but the ultimate decision to close now so quickly was made easier by the current challenges and staffing decisions simultaneously met with knowing it was the right time.

Longtime customers of the north Taco John’s may feel upset that they chose to keep the south location open rather than the north, but they had to choose one and the south Broadway location has always been the busier location so that is the route they took, Sartwell said.

Taco John’s has plans to put in a double lane drive-through and a third window to the dining room at the south Broadway location. Sartwell said their guests expect them to be fast and they plan on being even faster, with these changes to improve guest service.

Sartwell said he has worked in the industry going on 47 years and was 16 years old when he began his career at the first Taco John’s on north Broadway when it was a 12-foot by 30-foot taco stand. He said both the north and south sides of Minot are very vibrant but just from his history with Taco Johns, he knows that the south Broadway location has been the busier restaurant over the years.

Taco John’s north was listed for sale on Monday, and Sartwell said it will make a great home for somebody. He said it’s a beautiful property and it is natural for someone looking at a fast-food operation, but he said he has seen other things take shape in a restaurant facility. Sartwell said it is really about location and the north store will make a great location, full of possibilities for someone.