Taco Bell has around 7000 stores in the US, and it is one of the top five restaurant chains in the US based on sales. The bell in Taco bell comes from its founder Glen Bell.
Taco Bell is known for Americanized versions of Mexican foods such as Nachos, Burritos, Tacos, quesadillas, etc. Taco Bell has believed in bringing innovation on the menu with items like Naked Chicken Chalupas and Nachos fries. One of the best things about Taco Bell is its affordability, where you can get tasty food for just $1.
The Tale of the Tacos
Glen William Bell Jr. was a veteran in the restaurant business when he first opened a Tacos stand in 1951. Later he named it Taco-tia, which changed to El-Taco, and finally, the first Taco Bell opened in 1962 in California. By 1970 Taco Bell went public with 325 restaurants in just eight years.
Glen Bell claims to have invented ready-made crunchy taco shells, which made it easy to serve Tacos in less time, which is one of the reasons why people prefer fast-food joints. Taco Bell soon became a fascinating option for Americans due to its exotic nomenclature of the menu, because let’s face it, you can’t pronounce quesadillas correctly the first time.
The Yum Brands Acquisition
By 1978 Taco Bell had more than 800 restaurant chains, and Glen Bell sold his restaurants to PepsiCo in a whopping 148 Million dollar deal, and thus, Taco Bell became a subsidiary of yum brands that also owns KFC(Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Pizza Hut.
Yum Brands, which was initially called Tricon Global Restaurants, went for an IPO in the year 1997, has been growing ever since. Today with a Market Capitalization of $37 billion, Yum Brands is competing against giants like McDonald’s and Burger King.
What Inspired Glen to open a Mexican Fast-food chain
“An innovative product will set you apart,’ said Glen Bell in his biographical book, ‘Taco Titan: The Glen Bell Story,’ and that’s where his inspiration comes from when the Americans were going crazy for Ham-burgers, Glen wanted to bring something new to the fast-food market.
Born and brought up in California, Glen served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a cook during the Second World War. He opened his first restaurant, Bell’s drive–in, in 1948 in San Bernardino in California. He noticed across the street another restaurant, Mitla Cafe, which was popular among the locals. Glen wanted to know about the taco recipe, and later, he learned it from the owners and started selling Tacos at his Drive-in, which also sold Hotdogs.
Glen went on to open Taco-tia and later El-Taco and sold both the restaurants to one of his friends before opening Taco Bell in California, where Mc Donald’s was creating history in the fast-food industry.
Glen Bell and his success Mantra
Glen Bell Is the father of Taco Bell. He picked something as ordinary as Tacos and revolutionized American Fast-food. He started selling Tacos for 19 cents and recalls his first customer saying, ‘That was good, Give another, and Glen said that at that moment he knew he had a winner and the rest is history.
Glen has believed in creating a happy customer experience in his early days he would not close the Restaurant even if a single customer is waiting because one satisfied customer is worth the gold. Glen always worked hard to ensure quality services and stressed cleanliness. He was a humble entrepreneur who attracted people that would work not just for money but also for the growth of Taco Bell.
The Growth of Taco Bell
Taco Bell’s success is synonymous with its innovation. The fast-food chain tries to bring new items on its menu for the customers all the time. Another reason is that Taco Bell operates through a franchise system. Glen started this novel idea by selling a franchisee to Kermit Becky, a former LAPD officer who opened a Taco Bell Restaurant in Torrance.
People who worked with Glen Bell in his initial days recall that Glen valued his partners, and he would also cut off on rent and provide additional services to the franchisee owners to maintain Taco Bell standards.
Today, Taco Bell is successful due to its innovative ideas. The restaurant chain has started selling Alcohol in a few of its locations and also offers a chapel in its LA’branch for people looking to get hitched. Taco Bell has a unique marketing strategy where they turn challenges into marketing opportunities.
In 2011, Taco Bell was sued by an Alabama Law firm for selling, Beef that wasn’t beef. Taco Bell responded with ads in the newspaper saying ‘thank you for suing Us’ and explained to its customer that the beef comprises 88% original beef and another 12% is its secret recipe. The Unique way in which Taco Bell communicates with its customers says a lot about this restaurant giant.
To sum up
Glen Bell believed that every job is an opportunity to learn and used his experience of serving in the marine corps in the restaurant business. He said that you need to bring innovation in whatever you want to sell, even if it’s just something ordinary.
