Taco Bell History

Fast Food was booming when Glen Bell came out of the military in 1950. In Southern California , hamburger and hot dog stands were springing up on every street corner. Glen Bell was intrigued with the idea but he wanted to sell Mexican food.

He experimented with the stands themselves, building them for practice and selling them for profit. At the same time, he worked on his menu. He built the first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey , California in 1962. By 1978, Taco Bell had grown to over 800 restaurants and it was in this year that it became a member of the PepsiCo family. In 1997, PepsiCo formed Tricon as a separate company. Tricon has now become Yum! Brands and is composed of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, A & W, and Long John Silver's. Yum! Brands operates more restaurants than anyone else in the world.

Taco Bell is the world's largest quick service Mexican restaurant company. We lead the restaurant industry with new products and a fresh image. More than ever before, we recognize the need for a strong team to continue the winning tradition Glen Bell began in the 1950's.