A new combined KFC/Taco Bell restaurant celebrated its grand opening in Scarborough Tuesday, bringing fried chicken, Mexican food favorites and an expected 50 to 60 new jobs.

The restaurant is located at 400 Gallery Boulevard between Wal-Mart and Lowe’s and next to the Texas Roadhouse.

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant has 30 employees, but is looking for many more, said Dan Whitney, a company spokesman. The positions include several in management, Whitney said.

“When we are up and going fully, we will have, hopefully, 60 employees,” Whitney said.

Conifer Industries Inc., based in New Gloucester, owns the restaurant. It is the company’s 18th KFC/Taco Bell throughout Maine and New Hampshire. It is Scarborough’s first KFC/Taco Bell combination restaurant.

Confier President Matt Thurston said the company chose to open in Scarborough because of the town’s recent history of “steady” development.

“We’ve wanted to penetrate the southern Maine market for a while now, and Scarborough is one of the best places for us to do that,” Thurston said.

The restaurant is a welcome addition to Scarborough, said Scarborough Economic Development Corp. President Harvey Rosenfeld.

“It’s a funny thing because the first town manager I worked for always wanted me to bring a KFC to town, but I think it was one of his biggest disappointments because it didn’t happen,” Rosenfeld said. “I think this is a good sign for Scarborough and indicative that we continue to grow.”

The restaurant is open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. for now, but plans to stay open until 1 a.m. once the new Wal-Mart is built, Whitney said.

The menu includes fried chicken with sides such as mashed potatoes with gravy, and macaroni and cheese, or Mexican dishes such as soft and hard-shelled tacos, and burritos.

KFC/Taco Bell is headquartered in Louisville, Ky., and has 11,000 restaurants worldwide.

Scarborough Chamber of Commerce President Bob Nadeau, left, Scarborough Economic Development Corp. President Harvey Rosenfeld, center, and Conifer Industries President Matt Thurston, talk Tuesday at the new Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell(Kfc1.jpg:) Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell Manager Butch Bengroski, left, waits on a customer Tuesday morning during the restaurant