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The history of Taco Bell traces back to the 1940s when founder Glen Bell observed a bustling Mexican restaurant across from his hot dog stand.
This sparked a fast-food revolution that brought Mexican food to the masses.
Glen Bell founded Taco Bell in post-war San Bernardino, California.
In 1948, he opened a hot dog stand after observing long lines at the Mexican food joint Mitla Cafe across the street.
Intrigued by the cafe’s success, Bell studied their taco-making technique, eventually gaining permission to learn their methods firsthand.
He then shifted from hot dogs to tacos, opening Bell’s Drive-In in 1951. He followed this with restaurants under different names, including Taco-Tia and El Taco.
In 1962, he launched the first Taco Bell in Downey, California.
The restaurant offered tacos, burritos, and tostadas.
The original Taco Bell was 400 square feet, roughly the size of a two-car garage. It featured the brand’s signature architectural style, with its mission-style arches and walk-up windows.
The original building is now preserved as “Taco Bell Numero Uno,” interestingly, another Taco Bell now operates directly across the street from its original location.
When Taco Bell first opened, every item cost 19 cents.
This uniform pricing covered their core offerings—tacos, burritos, tostadas, frijoles, and even their “Chiliburger.”
The 19-cent price point proved strategically effective, making Mexican-inspired fast food accessible to the average American consumer.
Adjusting for inflation reveals that each item would cost approximately $2 in 2023.
This pricing strategy helped the chain rapidly expand from a single location to its first franchise within two years.
Though shocking to think about today and despite Southern California’s proximity to Mexico—many customers in the early 1960s were unfamiliar with tacos.
Taco Bell had to teach its customers how to eat this unique cuisine.
Kermit Bekke, a former police officer, purchased Taco Bell’s first franchise in 1964.
His restaurant opened at 1654 West Carson Street in Torrance, California, with its grand opening on May 28, 1965.
His location established the franchise model that would drive Taco Bell’s rapid growth.
The building still stands today, repurposed as The Tamale Man, while the Taco Bell operation moved across the street in 1975 before closing in the late 1990s.
Glen Bell took a progressive stance by actively promoting women to management positions at Taco Bell.
This hiring policy distinguished the company from fast-food chains of the 1960s and helped establish a more inclusive workplace culture.
Bell recognized female talent and leadership potential at a time when many competitors did not, creating uncommon advancement opportunities in the industry.
Taco Bell expanded eastward in 1968 when its 270th restaurant opened at 2050 East Main Street in Springfield, Ohio.
It was the chain’s first venture east of the Mississippi River.
Taco Bell was experiencing rapid growth—having expanded from a single location to 270 restaurants in just six years.
PepsiCo acquired Taco Bell from founder Glen Bell in 1978.
The purchase placed Taco Bell within PepsiCo’s growing restaurant portfolio and provided resources for rapid expansion.
Under PepsiCo’s ownership, Taco Bell grew from 868 restaurants to become an international brand.
The acquisition marked the end of Bell’s direct leadership and with new corporate leadership that would later evolve into Yum! Brands, when PepsiCo spun off its restaurant division in 1997.
The Bell Beefer represented Taco Bell’s early attempt to bridge Mexican and American fast food flavors.
Introduced in 1962 as the “Chiliburger” and later renamed, this sandwich consisted of taco-seasoned ground beef served on a steamed hamburger bun, topped with shredded lettuce, diced onions, and mild red sauce.
Though it deviated from Taco Bell’s Mexican-inspired menu, the Bell Beefer remained popular through the mid-1980s.
However, the company later discontinued it to focus on its core Tex-Mex offerings.
A Chihuahua named Gidget appeared in Taco Bell’s advertising campaign from 1997 to 2000.
This tiny tan Chihuahua became famous for the catchphrase “¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!” (“I want Taco Bell!”).
Gidget, voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, sparked both commercial success and controversy—some Hispanic groups criticized the campaign as an ethnic stereotype.
Gidget herself lived until 2009, appearing in other media roles after her Taco Bell career ended.
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