Taco Bell facts for kids
Logo since 2016
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Current headquarters at 1 Glen Bell Way in Irvine, California
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast-food restaurant |
| Founded | March 21, 1962 Downey, California |
| Founder | Glen Bell |
| Headquarters | 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, California, U.S. (2009–present) |
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Number of locations
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8,218 (2022) |
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Revenue |  $1.988 billion (2015) |
| Parent |
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Taco Bell Corp. is a big American fast-food chain. It was started in 1962 by Glen Bell in Downey, California. Taco Bell is now part of a larger company called Yum! Brands, Inc..
Taco Bell restaurants serve many different foods inspired by Mexico. These include tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and other special items. They also have a "value menu" with cheaper options. As of As of 2023[update], Taco Bell serves more than 2 billion customers every year. There are 8,212 Taco Bell restaurants around the world. Most of these are owned and run by independent business owners called franchisees.
PepsiCo bought Taco Bell in 1978. Later, PepsiCo created a separate company for its restaurants, which became Yum! Brands.
Taco Bell's Story
Taco Bell was started by Glen Bell. He was an entrepreneur who first opened a hot dog stand in 1948 in San Bernardino, California. Glen Bell noticed a Mexican restaurant across the street that was very popular for its hard-shelled tacos. He learned how they made their tacos and opened his own taco stand in 1951. The name of his business changed a few times before it became Taco Bell.
The very first Taco Bell opened in 1962 in Downey, California. It was a small building, about the size of a two-car garage. It had special arches and a window where you could order. The first menu items were tacos, burritos, tostadas, Chiliburgers, and frijoles. Each item cost only 19 cents! This first restaurant closed in 1986. But the building was saved and moved to the Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, California. It's now known as "Taco Bell Numero Uno."
In 1964, a former police officer named Kermit Bekke bought the first Taco Bell franchisee. This means he opened his own Taco Bell using the company's name and recipes. By 1967, there were 100 Taco Bell restaurants! The first Taco Bell east of the Mississippi River opened in 1968 in Springfield, Ohio.
Early Taco Bell restaurants only had walk-up windows. They didn't have indoor seating or drive-thrus at first. Indoor seating was added in the late 1960s, and drive-thrus became common in the early 1980s. Today, nine of the original mission-style Taco Bell restaurants still exist.
Becoming Part of PepsiCo
In 1978, PepsiCo bought Taco Bell from Glen Bell. PepsiCo also bought other restaurant chains and turned some of their locations into Taco Bell restaurants.
In 1991, Taco Bell opened its first "Taco Bell Express" in San Francisco. These smaller locations are often found inside convenience stores, truck stops, and airports. Taco Bell also started teaming up with other fast-food chains like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver's. This meant you could find a Taco Bell inside one of their restaurants.
In 2000, some Taco Bell-branded taco shells were taken off supermarket shelves. This was because they contained a type of genetically modified corn that was not approved for people to eat. It was a big deal because it was the first time genetically modified food was recalled.
Becoming Part of Yum! Brands
In 1997, PepsiCo decided to separate its restaurant businesses, including Taco Bell, into a new company called Tricon Global Restaurants. In 2002, Tricon Global Restaurants changed its name to Yum! Brands. Yum! Brands also owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver's.
In 2005, a group called the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) won an important victory. They had been boycotting Taco Bell to improve working conditions and wages for tomato pickers in Florida. After four years, Taco Bell and Yum! Brands agreed to their demands.
Taco Bell started trying out new restaurant styles. In 2014, they opened U.S. Taco Co. and Urban Taproom. This place sold tacos with American fillings and didn't have the usual Taco Bell menu. It closed in 2015 so the company could focus on a new idea: Taco Bell Cantina. These Cantina locations have special menu items and sometimes serve alcohol. The first Cantina opened in Chicago in 2015. In 2016, a big Taco Bell Cantina opened on the Las Vegas Strip. It's open 24 hours, has unique food, and even a DJ! In 2017, they announced that the Las Vegas Cantina would even host weddings.
In 2016, Taco Bell started testing an artificial intelligence bot on the messaging app Slack. This bot was designed to take food orders for delivery.
Taco Bell's hot sauces used to only be available in packets at the restaurants. But in 2014, Taco Bell started selling its hot sauces in bottles at grocery stores. They later added chips and shredded cheese to grocery stores too. In 2016, Taco Bell opened a special "VR Arcade" in New York City. Fans could try out PlayStation VR games and eat Taco Bell food.
In 2016, Taco Bell built a restaurant using five shipping containers for a music festival. It was so popular that they moved it to South Gate, California, and opened it to the public. This restaurant has outdoor seating, a walk-up window, and a drive-thru, but no indoor seating. Taco Bell plans to open many more urban and Cantina-style locations in the future. In 2019, Taco Bell even opened a pop-up hotel called "The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort" for one weekend. It was fully booked in just two minutes!
Food and Ads
Taco Bell has done many fun promotions and advertisements. In 1992, famous singer Johnny Cash was in a commercial for their value menu.
In 2001, Taco Bell had a promotion related to the Mir space station falling back to Earth. They put a big target in the Pacific Ocean. If a piece of Mir hit the target, everyone in the United States would get a free Taco Bell taco! Luckily for Taco Bell, no piece hit the target.
In 2004, Taco Bell got the rights to name the stadium at Boise State University the Taco Bell Arena. Also in 2004, Mountain Dew created a special flavor just for Taco Bell called Baja Blast.
In 2005, Taco Bell released a popular menu item called the Crunchwrap Supreme.
Since 2007, Taco Bell has run a "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion during the World Series baseball games. If a player steals a base, everyone in the U.S. gets a free taco! This has happened many times.
Taco Bell also sponsors promotions at basketball games. If the home team scores 100 points or more, everyone in the audience gets a coupon for a free Chalupa.
In 2011, Taco Bell had a big advertising campaign. They wanted to show that their beef filling was mostly beef, after a lawsuit questioned it. They even took out full-page ads in newspapers saying, "Thank you for suing us." The lawsuit was later dropped.
In March 2012, Taco Bell teamed up with Frito-Lay to create the Doritos Locos Tacos. This taco has a shell made from Nacho Cheese Doritos! The Cool Ranch Doritos Taco came out in 2013.
In May 2012, Taco Bell released a drink called Mountain Dew A.M., which is a mix of Mountain Dew and orange juice.
In 2012, Taco Bell started testing a new "Cantina Menu" with more fancy items. This menu was created by a famous chef, Lorena Garcia.
In 2013, Taco Bell announced they would stop selling kids' meals and toys in the U.S.
In 2013, Taco Bell began testing "Waffle Tacos" for breakfast. These had scrambled eggs, sausage, and syrup inside a waffle. The breakfast menu officially launched in March 2014. Their ads for breakfast even made fun of McDonald's!
In October 2015, Taco Bell launched a menu certified as vegetarian.
In 2016, Taco Bell tested a Cheetos Burrito. They also introduced the Airheads Freeze drink, where people could guess the flavor.
In 2017, the company released the Naked Chicken Chalupa, which uses a fried chicken shell instead of a tortilla. They also had Naked Chicken Chips, which are chicken nuggets shaped like chips.
In July 2017, Taco Bell partnered with Lyft. Passengers in Orange County, California, could request "Taco Mode" to stop at Taco Bell on their way. This program was later stopped.
In 2019, Taco Bell changed its menu for the fall season. In July 2020, they announced the Grilled Cheese Burrito, which comes back for limited times.
In January 2021, Taco Bell brought back potatoes to its menu after a short break. They also plan to add Beyond Meat as a plant-based option for vegetarians.
In April 2021, Taco Bell announced they would start reusing hot sauce packets with a recycling company called TerraCycle. This helps reduce waste.
In August 2021, Taco Bell announced the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco. On April 18, 2022, the popular Mexican Pizza returned to the menu after being gone for a while.
In January 2022, Taco Bell launched a "Taco Lover's Pass" subscription service. For $10, you can get one of seven different tacos every day for 30 days!
In 2022, a filmmaker named Sam Reid ate only Taco Bell for 30 days to test its nutrition. This stunt got a lot of attention, even from Jimmy Fallon!
In 2023, Taco Bell tested a vegan Crunchwrap Supreme in some cities. People said it was hard to tell the difference from the regular one.
Dollar Cravings
In 2014, Taco Bell launched a new value menu called Dollar Cravings. It replaced the old "Why Pay More" menu. It had many items, all priced at one United States dollar. It was later renamed "Cravings Value Menu," and some prices went up. As of 2024, it still has 10 items.
Old Menu Items
Taco Bell has removed many items from its menu over the years. One of the original items from 1962 was the Chiliburger, later called the Bell Beefer. This was like a hamburger with taco-seasoned beef. It was removed around 1986 to focus more on Mexican-inspired food.
Other items that are no longer on the menu include the Enchirito, Taco Lite, Chilito, Seafood Salad, and the Volcano Taco. In September 2019, they removed items like the Double Decker Taco and some Doritos Locos Tacos flavors. In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they removed more items to make things simpler, such as the 7-Layer Burrito and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.
Around the World
Taco Bell has grown a lot around the world. The number of restaurants has increased every year since 2010.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
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| 5,896 | 5,945 | 5,980 | 6,053 | 6,206 | 6,413 | 6,612 | 6,849 | 7,072 | 7,363 | 7,427 | 7,791 | 8,218 | 8,564 |
Asia
Taco Bell has restaurants in many Asian countries.
- China: Taco Bell first came to China in 2003 but closed in 2008. It came back in 2016 and now has 90 locations.
- India: The first Taco Bell in India opened in 2010. Yum! Brands plans to open 600 new Taco Bell restaurants in India by 2029.
- Indonesia: The first Indonesian Taco Bell opened in South Jakarta in 2020.
- Malaysia:
Malaysia's first Taco Bell opened in 2021. It now has 13 stores.
Taco Bell in Tropicana Gardens Mall, Kota Damansara, Malaysia - Japan: Taco Bell was in Japan in the 1980s but left. It returned in 2015 with a new store in Shibuya, Tokyo. It even has special menu items like "Taco rice."
- Philippines: The first Taco Bell in the Philippines opened in 2004.
- South Korea: There are two Taco Bell locations in Seoul, which opened in 2010.
- Sri Lanka: Taco Bell opened in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2017.
- Thailand: There are branches in Bangkok and Pattaya.
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Europe
Taco Bell has expanded into Europe.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: The first Taco Bell in this country opened in October 2024.
- Cyprus: Taco Bell opened in Cyprus in 2009 and has stores in several cities.
- Finland:
The first Taco Bell in Finland opened in Helsinki in 2017. Finland is the first country to offer "pulled oats" as a meat substitute.
Taco Bell restaurant in Vantaa, Finland - Germany: Taco Bell plans to open its first German location in Berlin in 2024.
- Gibraltar: The first Taco Bell store in Gibraltar opened in 2024.
- Netherlands: The first Taco Bell in the Netherlands opened in Eindhoven in 2017.
- Portugal: The first Taco Bell store opened in 2019.
- Romania: The first Taco Bell in Bucharest opened in 2017.
- Spain: Spain is a very important market for Taco Bell in Europe. The first public Taco Bell in Spain opened in Madrid in 2008. There are now 119 branches.
- United Kingdom: Taco Bell first opened in the UK in 1986 but closed in the mid-1990s. It reopened in 2010 as part of a big plan to expand in Europe. By 2024, there are over 130 locations in the UK. In 2013, a small amount of horse meat was found in some Taco Bell beef in the UK from a supplier. Taco Bell quickly fixed this issue.
Middle East
Taco Bell opened in the United Arab Emirates in 2008 but later closed all its locations there. It is still open in Kuwait.
North America
- Canada: Taco Bell has been in Canada since 1981. There are locations in 7 of the 10 Canadian provinces.
Oceania
- Australia: Taco Bell first opened in Australia in 1981 but had to change its name due to a lawsuit. It tried again in 1997 but left by 2005. Taco Bell returned to Australia in 2017 and now has 39 restaurants.
- New Zealand: Taco Bell officially opened its first New Zealand location in 2019. There are now 14 restaurants across the country.
- United States Territories: Taco Bell also has stores in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico.
South America
Taco Bell has stores in Brazil, Chile, and Peru. It used to have stores in Colombia and Ecuador but they closed.
Other Countries
Taco Bell is also present in the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Past Locations
- Greece: Taco Bell opened in Athens in 2010 but closed in 2012 due to the country's economic problems.
- Iceland: Taco Bell was part of KFC restaurants in Iceland but one location closed in 2023.
- Mexico: Taco Bell tried to open in Mexico twice, in 1992 and 2007, but both times the restaurants closed because not enough people visited them.
- Poland: The first Polish Taco Bell opened in 1993 but closed soon after.
- Russia: In the early 1990s, PepsiCo opened some Taco Bell locations in the Moscow Metro, but they only lasted a few years.
Military Bases
Taco Bell also has locations on military bases in countries like Bahrain, Germany, and Iraq.
Taco Bell Clothes
In 2017, the clothing company Forever 21 made a special clothing line with Taco Bell. It included T-shirts, sweatshirts, and even bodysuits that looked like Border Sauce packets!
In 2019, Taco Bell launched its own online store called Taco Bell's Taco Shop. You can buy Taco Bell-branded hoodies, holiday ornaments, inflatable sauce packets, and even wedding-related items there.
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See also
In Spanish: Taco Bell para niños
- Priszm
- Taco Bell chihuahua
- Enchirito
