Which Tex-Mex fast-food chain was founded in 1962 by Glen Bell?

Taco Bell is the Tex-Mex fast-food chain founded in 1962 by Glen Bell.

Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, California, in 1962. The business expanded by selling Americanized Mexican-style foods, including tacos, burritos, and other combinations that became part of the modern fast-food version of Tex-Mex.

Bell had previously operated hamburger and taco businesses. His earlier restaurant, Bell’s Drive-In, and later taco ventures helped shape the format that Taco Bell developed into a national chain. The company was acquired by PepsiCo in 1978 and later became part of Yum! Brands.

Taco Bell’s menu is not a direct representation of regional Mexican cooking. It is better understood as American fast food influenced by Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. That distinction is why items such as crunchy seasoned-beef tacos and heavily customized burritos are often discussed as examples of Americanized Tex-Mex rather than traditional Mexican dishes.