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Taco Bell

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Taco Bell was founded in Irvine, CA in 1962 by Glen Bell. The first location was built in Downey, California. The Mission style building was designed by Robert McKay. By 1967, there were 100 locations. By 2018, there were over 7,000 locations. There are only about nine Mission style buildings still operating as Taco Bells. Most have closed and house other restaurants or have been significantly remodeled. For more, see this website.

former Taco Bell [gone]
Downey, CA (now Irvine, CA)
Taco Bell sign
Irvine, CA
This Taco Bell was built in 1962 and was the first location in the chain. It closed in 1986 and housed other Mexican takeout restaurants after that. In 2014, the building was vacant and endangered. Taco Bell decided to move the building to its corporate headquarters in Irvine, CA. It is currently in storage, covered with tarps, behind their building. As of 2024, there are no plans to restore it or move it elsewhere. For more, see this website. [map]

This Taco Bell sign is is displayed inside the headquarters building which is not accessible to the public. There used to be tours but I don't believe those are offered anymore. This sign is most likely a replica, likely the one built for Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." I don't think that these plastic letters which were installed on the front of the early buildings ever had neon. There also used to be a Taco Bell Boy statue in the lobby. However, that was moved into storage around 2020 after being deemed politically incorrect. [map]

former Taco Bell
Long Beach, CA		 former Taco Bell
Buena Park, CA
This former Taco Bell in Long Beach was built in 1963. This is the most intact survivor of the original style "Numero Uno" building. It still has the original seating and an oversized fire pit. The building has housed Chema's Place since the 1970s. [map]

This former Taco Bell in Buena Park opened in 1966 and closed in 1986. It still has a fire pit. It has housed Kobe Kyukatsu since around 2018. [map]

former Taco Bell
Tustin, CA		 former Taco Bell
Santa Ana, CA
This former Taco Bell in Tustin opened around 1970 and closed in 2013. The building has been vacant since then. The crumbling fire pit is still there. For more, see this website. [map]

This former Taco Bell in Santa Ana was built 1967. The building has housed MOS 2 since at least 2007. The "Welcome" at the bottom of the sign remains from the Taco Bell sign built in 1984. [map]

Taco Bell [gone]
Los Angeles, CA
This Taco Bell was built in 1972. It had not changed all that much since the company's early design. These photos are from 2008. This location closed either later in 2008 or in 2009. The building was remodeled for a Thai restaurant and the sign was removed. These plastic signs are incredibly rare now. The only other one that I know of that is still in use is in Savannah, GA. There were others until a few years ago in Wilmington, DE and Wausau, WI. For more, see this website.

Taco Bell
Santa Barbara, CA
This Taco Bell from 1966 still has a bell at the top of the building. The bell is a replica from around 2019. I don't know of any other locations that still have that feature. For more, see this website. [map]

Taco Bell
Goleta, CA		 former Taco Bell
Pomona, CA
This Taco Bell in Goleta was built in 1966. It is a historic, local landmark preventing it from being remodeled. [map]

This former Taco Bell in Pomona was built in 1968. It closed around 2008 and has housed Senor Baja since then. [map]

former Taco Bell
Pittsburg, CA		 Taco Bell
Lafayette, CA
This former Taco Bell in Pittsburg was built in 1968 and features the original seating. It might not have had a fire pit originally. [map]

This still-operating Taco Bell in Lafayette was built in 1968. [map]

former Taco Bell
Fresno, CA
This former Taco Bell was built in 1968 and closed in 1988. I still has the original fire pit and seating. The building now houses Buffalo Ranch Wings & Things. [map]

former Taco Bell
Ventura, CA
This former Taco Bell was built in 1969 and closed in 1989. The original seating is still there. The fire pit is now used as a planter. The brick tables and benches are also original. The building has housed Corrales Mexican Food since around 1992. [map]

former Taco Bell
Norwalk, CA
This former Taco Bell was built in 1966 and closed in 2006. By 2007, it was housing Tasty Goody Chinese Fast Food. [map]

former Taco Bell
Santa Fe Springs, CA
This former Taco Bell was built in 1977. It also has the original fire pit, now used as a planter. The building now houses Alberto's Mexican Food. Very few former Taco Bells still have fire pits and I don't believe any operating locations still have them. A few are listed in the blue box below. [map]

Taco Bell model
San Diego, CA		 former Taco Bell
Phoenix, AZ
This Taco Bell model is located behind a modernized Taco Bell from 1965. It was installed around 2008. It is a tribute to this location which was the first Taco Bell in San Diego, built in 1965. The model appears to be function as a utility box. [map]

This former Taco Bell was built in 1966 and closed in the 1980s. It has housed Best of Philly since 1995. The sign was repurposed with new panels and the building has been remodeled a bit. This sign was one of the earliest with the bulb-studded, abstracted serape. The Mexican was painted over on these signs Taco Bell due to public pressure. For more, see this website. [map]

Taco Bell
Scottsdale, AZ
This Taco Bell was built in 1966. The signs were added around 1987 and the patio was built in 1988. [map]

former Taco Bell
Milwaukie, OR
This former Taco Bell was built in 1972 and still has the original patio and fire pit. The building now houses Rigoberto's Taco Shop. There are very few Taco Bell locations still housed in these buildings. Most of the survivors house other restaurants now. I don't know of any still-operating Taco Bells that still have fire pits. The tables, benches, and surrounding brick wall are original. Taco Bell stopped building these patios around 1975. The fire pits were operational until around 1973 and the company stopped building them around 1979. [map]

former Taco Bell
Tulsa, OK
This former Taco Bell was built around 1975 and closed in the early 1990s. The building has been vacant since 2021. It still has the original brick walls and tables in front. [map]

former Taco Bell
Tulsa, OK
This former Taco Bell was built in 1968. It still has the original brick and a fire pit. The building has housed the Egg Roll Chef since at least 2007. [map]

More Taco Bells:
Long Beach, CA
San Diego, CA
Colorado Springs, CO
Durango, CO
Lakewood, CO [gone]
Tampa, FL
Honolulu, HI
Waukegan, IL
Hamilton, OH
Mesquite, TX
Longview, WA

If you know of any other surviving fire pits, bells, or curved roof projections that held the bells, I'd love to hear from you.

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