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MEMORIES:
Kapatsos remembers...big fan of the Bell but when I never ate there untill I was in my late 20's,,we had a ... More »
Posted on 09/19/08
PHOTOS:
A big blue animated monster looms over the Taco Bell stand. This is Klang, and he has a bell on top of his head. He looks lovingly at the restaurant, and then devours it in one bite. “Taco Bell,” he growls. “It’s a nice place to eat!”
This ad, from the very early 70’s, accompanied a wide expansion of the fast food business started by Glen Bell, who opened the first Taco Bell in Downey California, in 1962. (He had already created a line of businesses called Taco Tia, which he had sold to his parents in the Fifties.) He began franchising the restaurant in 1964, and took the company public in 1969.
The early Taco Bell chain featured a series of nearly identical buildings themed to look like a Spanish mission, topped with a bell tower. The lit Taco Bell sign featured a logo with a bell, a serape blanket, and a tilted sombrero, giving the impression of a Mexican hombre taking a siesta. The trashcans were shaped like cartoony green cacti. An outside patio featured umbrella shaded tables, each set with its own tinfoil logo-stamped ashtray.
The original menu was basic; tacos, burritos, tostadas, the sauce-covered Enchirito (in its own plastic tray) and the Bell Beefer, a Sloppy Joe type sandwich with taco-seasoned meat. Taco Bell introduced much of the country to its first taste of Mexican food, and made the crunchy corn-shell taco an American staple.
In 1978, PepsiCo acquired the business, and expanded both the menu and the marketing. TriCon Global Restaurants bought out the chain (along with KFC and Pizza Hut) in 1997. This company is now known as Yum! Brands Inc.
The Taco Bell Chihuahua (“Yo quiero Taco Bell”) made his debut in 1997. Voiced by comedian Carlos Alazraqui, the dog became a phenomenon. Chihuahua toys sold at the stores became instant collectibles, and the chihuahua was the company face for several years. (He was also the subject of a lawsuit from the team who developed the campaign.) He recently made a cameo appearance in a Geico ad, meeting that company’s famous gecko lizard.
Other campaigns featured tag lines such as; “Burgers are Boring,” “Think Outside the Bun,” “Make a Run for the Border,” and in connection with its value menu,”I’m Full!”
On April 1, 1996, the New York Times ran a full page ad announcing that Taco Bell had purchased the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and was gong to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. This April Fool’s Day hoax generated an angry backlash from people who didn’t get the joke. In 2004, the Boise State Pavilion in Idaho became the Taco Bell Arena, a sure sign of the cultural status of the little taco stand that could.
