MIKE CARROLL/PLAINSMAN Workers continue to work Wednesday on the addition to Taco John’s at 410 Dakota Ave. N. The restaurant is adding space for a new kitchen and lobby area, making the building nearly double the size it is now.

Construction has begun on a project to nearly double the size of the Taco John’s restaurant in Huron.

The addition, on the north side of the building at 410 Dakota Ave. N., will provide space for a new kitchen and lobby area, said Bryon Itterman, vice president of Pentex Management, the company which manages a number of Taco John’s restaurants.

Work began Monday and is expected to be completed by the end of July. Todd Brueske Construction of Woonsocket is the general contractor.

The drive-through will be converted to a double drive-through with separate pay and pickup windows.

The interior will be completely renovated with the existing space turned into seating and the addition becoming the kitchen and lobby areas. The number of seats will nearly double, from 46 to 83, Itterman said.

The exterior of the restaurant will be converted to reflect the new prototype Taco John’s facilities in other South Dakota communities.

Renovations have been done on other Taco John’s locations in the state, although not all of them have been enlarged.

With a new image requirement from the company, there will also be new signage, new colors, new menu boards on the inside and a new seating package.

Another new addition will be a salsa bar for inside customers.

The parking lot will offer about twice the number of spaces the restaurant has now.

Itterman said the project has been in the works for some time. Once the property to the north was purchased and a building was razed, Taco John’s owners were able to move forward with the conversion and addition project.

The fast-food restaurant chain was founded in Cheyenne, Wyo., in 1969 and now has more than 400 locations in 24 states.