Taco Bell

Glen Bell had been selling tacos from a series of small stands in San Bernardino since the mid-1950s, across the street from an original McDonald's location. Watching McDonald's lines with envy, he studied their system and applied it to Mexican-inspired food. He opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California on March 21, 1962, charging $0.19 for a taco. Within years, Bell had franchised the concept aggressively, converting his early partners and growing the brand across the Southwest.

PepsiCo acquired Taco Bell in 1978 for $125 million. Under corporate ownership the chain scaled nationally, making Mexican fast food accessible across America when it was largely unknown in most regions. The "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" chihuahua campaign of the late 1990s became one of the most recognizable ad campaigns in QSR history, despite being discontinued after three years.

Taco Bell spun off with Pizza Hut and KFC when PepsiCo created Tricon Global Restaurants (now Yum! Brands) in 1997. Today it's the most innovative menu-driver in the Yum! portfolio, with a cult following for limited-time items like the Doritos Locos Taco, the Naked Chicken Chalupa, and its late-night menu. Taco Bell has kept two of its original 1962 items — the Crunchy Taco and the Bean Burrito — on the menu continuously, and they remain among the best inflation-adjusted values in American fast food.