While most people will be able to tell you their favourite menu item, a lot of folks don’t know we’ve been around for a long, long time. The sixties to be exact. Never heard of them? Ask your folks. Back in ‘62 in Southern California, our courageous Taco Godfather, Glen Bell had a dream.

​This dream saw the introduction of food you could hold in your hands, and in your heart. Food that was as much about what’s in it, as who’s around you when you’re enjoying it. And so, Taco Bell became a global sensation, symbolising a movement of agile, trailblazing individuals unafraid to Live Más.

Are you ready to Taco?

HISTORY OF TACO BELL

Taco Bell originated in California, United States of America. It was founded by Glen Bell, and he opened the first Taco Bell restaurant back in 1962 in Downey, California. Before Taco Bell, he originally owned and operated a hamburger stand called Bell's Hamburgers in California, built in 1948 on the border of San Bernardino and the city of Colton. Glen opened his first taco stand, Taco Tia in 1954, selling tacos for nineteen cents (AUD$2.17 value today).

1950 - 1960

1954

Before Glen Bell created Taco Bell, he started Bell's Drive-In and Taco Tia in the Southern California area.

1960 - 1970

1962

Glen Bell opens his first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, CA, serving what his customers called "Tay-Kohs". Glen invented the Crunchy Taco to satisfy the hungry mouths of Southern Californians.

1964

Taco Bell's first franchisee opens a restaurant in Orange County, CA.

1967

Taco Bell's 100th restaurant opens in Anaheim, CA.

​1970 - 1980

1970

Taco Bell goes public with a total of 325 restaurants.

1978

Glen sold 868 Taco Bell restaurants to PepsiCo Inc., and became PepsiCo shareholder.

1980 - 2000

1998

Gorditas burst onto the fast-food scene and become a nationwide sensation.

2000 - 2016

2005

The Crunchwrap Supreme becomes Taco Bell's most successful product introduction, and soon after becomes a permanent menu item.

2015

The taco emoji is introduced in Apple's iOS 9.1. We like to think our Change.org petition from the year before had something to do with it.

TODAY

Taco Bell serves more than 2 billion customers each year at over 7,000 restaurants worldwide.

Taco Bell brings tacos to the people of Brisbane!