Did you know…
IT’S NAMED AFTER THE FOUNDER.
That would be Glen Bell, a California entrepreneur who owned a miniature golf course and a hot dog stand, among other ventures, before hitting it big with tacos. While working at Bell’s Drive-In in San Bernardino—the same town as the first McDonald’s, incidentally—he noticed long lines at the Mexican restaurant across the street. After endearing himself to the owners, Bell got them to show him how to make hard-shell tacos, which were a novelty at the time. Bell soon opened up his own Mexican restaurant, Taco Tia, which grew to three locations before he sold to his business partner. In 1962, he opened the first Taco Bell on Firestone Boulevard in Downey, California.
THE TACOS WERE ORIGINALLY 19 CENTS.
And apparently, customers pronounced them “Tay-Kohs” at first. Other menu items included tostadas, burritos, and chiliburgers.
THE FIRST LOCATION FEATURED FIRE PITS AND MARIACHI BANDS.
True to the times and its California roots, Taco Bell numero uno was basically a hangout spot. The 400-square foot, the mission-style building had no indoor seating—just a kitchen and an ordering window. Outside, customers occupied a few patio chairs and tables or stood around one of the fire pits noshing on tacos. The restaurant was fun, laid back, and carried not even a whiff of the multimillion-dollar future ahead of it.
THE FIRST FRANCHISEE WAS A FORMER L.A. POLICE OFFICER NAMED KERMIT.
Within two years, Taco Bell had expanded to eight locations. That’s when Bell decided to take what was a fairly novel step at the time and begin selling to franchisees who were also willing to bet on the success of Mexican-American cuisine. First up: Kermit Becky, a former LAPD officer who opened a Taco Bell in Torrance.