64 Years Ago, This Beloved Mexican Chain Opened Its Doors

In 1962, an American entrepreneur decided to take a chance on selling a type of handheld meal that many of his compatriots at the time barely even recognized: tacos. The middle of the 20th century saw automobiles turn from a luxury to a middle-class necessity, and driving became more than just a means of transportation but rather an entire culture. Drive-ins and fast food restaurants were popping up around the country, but most were serving hamburgers. Glen Bell wanted to stand out from his competitors, so combining his favorite Mexican snack with his last name, he created Taco Bell.

The first Taco Bell location in Downey, California, was almost unrecognizable from the modern iterations. This was decades before the chain adopted its contemporary purple theming. The original Taco Bell was designed in the Spanish mission style, which was common in California and the Southwestern United States. There was even a real bell over the tiled roof verandah that welcomed the first customers. Back in 1962, most diners would still pronounce tacos "tay-kohs," and Taco Bell served as a foray into uncharted territory that felt safe for many non-Latino Americans living in a very culturally segregated society.

It was a risky choice, but Glen Bell was passionate about tacos and thought other Americans would be, too, if they just gave them a try. Sixty-four years later, not only have Taco Tuesdays become a regular part of the American diet, but Taco Bell has become many Americans' first taste of Mexican cuisine and can be found in many parts of the world. It is also one of the most affordable Mexican dining options, compared to other Mexican restaurant chains that can feel overpriced. It all started with a crunchy taco, the original Taco Bell menu item still found on menus today.

Glen Bell was neither Mexican nor did he have any Latino roots, so how did he get into the taco game? Well, California was actually part of Mexico before the United States gained the territory in 1848 after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. As such, Mexican food has played an integral role in California's culture for well over a century. Living in California, Bell would have been exposed to some iteration of the taco, which is exactly what happened at Mitla Cafe.

Over 10 years before the first Taco Bell opened in Downey, Glen Bell had become enamored with Mitla Cafe's famous tacos dorados, the precursor to the crunchy taco. He created his own version, incorporating the recipe into the fast food format (which he had already tried and failed with classics like burgers and hot dogs); competitors like McDonald's were much more profitable than traditional restaurants like Mitla, but they didn't have tacos, making Bell's concept unique. From this point on, Taco Bell began to diverge from traditional Mexican cuisine to become its own American invention, much like the invention of Chicago's deep dish pizza and new riffs on classics like General Tso's cauliflower.

For much of Taco Bell's history, the fast food chain's branding promised customers an exotic experience, trying what many Americans considered to be a foreign cuisine. With the passage of time, many Americans gained exposure to traditional Mexican food that Mexicans cooked and ate for themselves, and a trip to Taco Bell seemed less and less like a culinary venture south of the border. Taco Bell restaurants have since dropped the Mission aesthetic, embracing an identity that doesn't pretend to be someone else's culture. But for many people around the world, it continues to be their first taste of anything resembling Mexican food. So, while Taco Bell isn't really Mexican food, it has helped grow Mexican cuisine's popularity in the United States and abroad.