Glen Bell opens the very first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, California. At
the time, he sold tacos, burritos, and tostadas for just 19 cents each to
customers who originally pronounced the food "Tay-Kohs."
The brand begins its massive expansion when retired LAPD officer Kermit Becky
opens the first Taco Bell franchise in Torrance, California
Taco Bell officially becomes a publicly traded company, having grown to an
impressive 325 restaurants in just eight years.
PepsiCo purchases Taco Bell—which had grown to 868 locations—from Glen Bell.
This acquisition gave the chain massive corporate backing and eventually paved
the way for its beverage crossovers.
Taco Bell's parent company spins off from PepsiCo to form Tricon Global
Restaurants (which is now known as Yum! Brands). Culturally, this was also the
year the inescapable "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" Chihuahua ad campaign debuted.
Taco Bell partners with Mountain Dew to introduce the Baja Blast. It was
originally an exclusive fountain drink, cementing one of the most successful and
cult-followed fast-food beverage partnerships in history.
The Doritos Locos Tacos are officially launched. To celebrate the release, the
company famously helicoptered 10,000 of the tacos to the remote town of Bethel,
Alaska. It quickly became one of the most successful product launches in
fast-food history.