GLEN W. BELL, 86
Founder of Taco Bell
In 1951, Mr. Bell got the idea to sell crispy-shell tacos from his hamburger stand. His effort became the foundation for the Taco Bell empire. There were three Bell's Hamburgers and Hot Dogs was located in San Bernardino, California.
His first customer was "dressed in a suit and as he bit into the taco the juice ran down his sleeve and dripped on his tie. I thought, 'Uh-oh, we've lost that one,' but, he came back, amazingly enough, and said, 'That was good. Gimme another.'"
The chain grew to 868 restaurants by the time he sold it to PepsiCo in 1978. Today, Taco Bell sells over 2 billion tacos a year in more than 3,600 stores in the US and the world.
There were many fast food stands in San Bernardino when Mr. Bell started out, all capitalizing on the car culture of postwar America. One competitor, just a few miles away, was the burger stand of tow brothers by the name of McDonald. All of these places featured prompt service from streamlines menus.
Think Outside That Bun, Right, Mr. Bell.
Jan. 18, 2009 New York Times
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