You would think that a place as epic a Taco Bell would have maintained the same menu year after year but the truth is, they were completely different in the beginning! These days, we are used to have many choices when we enter into a Taco Bell and it’s hard to imagine its humble beginnings when they didn’t as much to choose from. If fact, they were almost too small to be noticed but the staple food products that they had to offer grew in time and is now are a part of our mainstream culture when it comes to fast foods. Check out the beginning of Taco Bell:
1. When they first opened their doors in the early 60s they had only one shop in Downey, CA.
At this place, their main items were tacos, burritos, frijoles and tostados and they only cost 19 cents each!
2. Kermit Becky.
Pictured here is Taco Bell’s First Franchisee in front of the simple menu.
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3. The Bellburger.
A burger is not what you would expect to see on a Taco Bell menu but no one seemed to care back then because they used taco meat, cheese and a spicy sauce to give it a Mexican-style spin. However, it is no longer available and was discontinued in the late 70s.
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See the Bell Boy on the next page….
4. Pronunciation is key!
The menus back then featured a guide for how to say Enchirito (En-Chi-Ree-Toh).
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5. Prom dates were taken here.
Back then, it was no big deal to treat your fancy date to an evening at Taco Bell.
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6. Bell Boy.
They even had to wear fake mustaches when they served up your meal.
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See what has changed since then on the next page…
7. The changes.
By 1978, the creator of Taco Bell, Glen Bell sold 838 Taco Bell restaurants to PepsiCo, Inc.
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8. Taco Bell today.
This is how we are used to seeing it today and the best part is that it is open late at night for those who just can’t seem to go to bed!
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9. The original.
The first Taco Bell was saved from demolition by being physically picked up and moved to Irvine, CA. Therefore, you can still visit it today!
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10. They moved it by truck to their headquarters.
Now, it’s parked out front and has been nicknamed Numero Uno.
