.png)
.webp)
In the postwar boom of the 1950s and 60s, fast food chains were rapidly expanding across America to feed a growing suburban consumer culture centered around automobiles.
It was in this context that entrepreneur Glen Bell capitalized on the rising popularity of Mexican cuisine by founding Taco Bell in 1962, the same year as other watershed historical events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the launch of The Beatles' first single "Love Me Do."
Over the next few decades, Taco Bell would experience remarkable growth as well as setbacks against the backdrop of the Cold War, the Space Age, and the rise of corporate globalization through events like PepsiCo’s acquisition in 1978, just four years after the Watergate scandal brought down Nixon's presidency.
The origins of the Taco Bell empire can be traced to 1948, when aspiring entrepreneur Glen Bell opened a humble hot dog stand called Bell's Drive-In in San Bernardino.
Yet Bell had bigger dreams brewing when he witnessed the long lines and booming business at the Mitla Cafe, a Mexican restaurant situated across the street.
Studying the Mitla's hard-shelled tacos, Bell aimed to reverse-engineer the popular dish, eventually convincing the owners to reveal their technique.
By 1962, Bell felt ready to strike out on his own, debuting the very first Taco Bell in Downey, California.
Though starting out as a modest 400-square foot mission-style walk-up stand, Bell had sown the seeds of a fast food phenomenon that would one day grow into a multinational, multi-billion dollar Tex-Mex empire.
The little shop from Downey had certainly come a long way.
The first Taco Bell location opened its doors in 1962 in Downey, California.
It was remarkably small, just 400 square feet in size—about as big as a two-car garage. The tiny building was designed in the Mission architectural style, featuring arches and a little walk-up window where customers could place orders.
While incredibly compact and modest as a restaurant, this original Taco Bell stands today as the foundation for massive fast food success.
The brand and business would grow exponentially in subsequent decades, but it all started from a little 400-square foot shop on Firestone Boulevard in Downey.
In 1978, Taco Bell was acquired by consumer goods conglomerate PepsiCo, ushering the growing Mexican fast food chain into a new era of vast corporate resources and reach.
The purchase brought together two of the biggest names in food and beverages, positioning Taco Bell for further expansion under Pepsi's umbrella.
In 2000, Taco Bell was forced to recall up to $50 million worth of taco shells after it was discovered they contained a genetically modified variety of corn called StarLink, which was not approved for human consumption.
The recall marked the first time a genetically engineered food product had to be pulled back on such a large scale. Taco Bell's parent company eventually agreed to a $60 million settlement over the recall, which stood as a rare slip-up in an otherwise successful fast food empire.
In a marketing stunt in 2001, Taco Bell declared they would give a free taco to every person in the United States if a piece of the aging Russian Mir space station, as it was falling from orbit, struck a 40-by-40 foot floating target the company had placed in the ocean.
However, despite the attention garnered by their bold offer, no piece of Mir debris ended up hitting the target in the ocean.
So Taco Bell avoided having to give tacos to 285 million Americans.
Taco Bell's popular 1990s advertising mascot was a chihuahua dog simply dubbed the Taco Bell Chihuahua.
The dog's actual name was Gidget, and she appeared in numerous memorable ads for the Tex-Mex chain.
Over a decade later in 2009, at age 15, Gidget suffered a stroke and had to be euthanized, ending the life of one of Taco Bell's most iconic brand ambassadors.
In 2004, a Taco Bell franchisee purchased the naming rights to Boise State University's basketball arena.
This led to the venue being rechristened as Taco Bell Arena, showcasing the brand's expanding marketing clout and integration into popular culture.
In 2007, Taco Bell launched a World Series marketing campaign called “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco,” pledging to give every person in the U.S. a free taco if any player stole a base during the championship games.
Boston Red Sox player Jacoby Ellsbury delivered in Game 2, successfully stealing a base and triggering Taco Bell to follow through on providing America with free tacos.
Taco Bell has tried on two separate occasions to expand into Mexico by opening restaurants aiming to appeal to local tastes.
However, both times—once in the 1990s and again in the 2000s—the chain failed to gain popularity in Mexico and was forced to close down all its locations there due to lack of interest from consumers.
Despite its name and Mexican-inspired cuisine, Taco Bell seems unable to find a foothold south of the border.
When Taco Bell first expanded to Australia in the 1970s, it faced a lawsuit from a local restaurant called "Taco Bell's Casa" that had been operating down under since the 1960s.
A court ruled that Taco Bell had to change its name in the Australian market due to the likelihood of confusion with the similarly named incumbent eatery.
Thus the Taco Bell brand was legally forced to alter its identity as it entered the Australian market.
.png){kind=logo}
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)