Who founded the fast-food chain Taco Bell?

The founder of the fast-food chain Taco Bell was Glen Bell.

Glen William Bell Jr. was an American restaurateur who began his food-business career with Bell’s Drive-In, a hot-dog stand in San Bernardino, California, in 1948. He became interested in hard-shell tacos after seeing their popularity at the nearby Mitla Cafe and learned the dorado-style technique associated with that restaurant.

Bell experimented with taco businesses before launching the first Taco Bell in Downey, California, on July 6, 1962. The small walk-up restaurant sold tacos alongside burritos, tostadas, chili burgers, and beans. Bell later franchised the brand, helping it grow into a national chain.

The distractors are founders of other major American fast-food companies: Harland Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s, and Ray Kroc drove McDonald’s expansion. Bell sold Taco Bell to PepsiCo in 1978, when the chain had 868 restaurants.