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Glen Bell

Glen William Bell Jr. (September 3, 1923 – January 16, 2010)[1][2] was an American restaurateur who was the founder and namesake of Taco Bell.

Early life

Glen Bell was born in Lynwood, California, to Glen William Bell Sr. and Ruth Elizabeth Bell (née Johnson). His mother was born in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota to a half Swedish father and predominantly English mother. His father in Franklin County, Iowa to a German father and predominantly English mother, Glen also had colonial New England ancestry through both his parents' families.

Career

Bell graduated from San Bernardino High School in 1941.[3] He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a cook during World War II. After the Marines, he started his first hot dog stand 'Bell's Drive-In', in San Bernardino in 1948.[4][5]

He is credited with the idea of selling crispy-shell tacos in 1951, and commissioned a custom frying contraption from a man who made chicken coops.[1]

In 1952, he sold the hot dog stand and built a second location selling hot dogs and hamburgers. He soon started selling tacos at a taco stand named Taco-Tia at 19 cents each from a side window. Between 1954 and 1955, he opened three Taco Tias in the San Bernardino area, eventually selling those restaurants and opening four El Tacos with a partner in the Long Beach area. He partnered with John Galardi, originally hired as a part-time worker and then a manager. Galardi later founded the Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain.[6][7]

Glen Bell learned how to make tacos from the Mitla Café in San Bernardino after the owners and head chef Gloria Hoyle taught him the recipes of their family’s famous Dorado style tacos.[8][9][10]

In 1962, he went solo and sold the El Tacos to his partner and opened his first Taco Bell in Downey, California. Bell franchised his restaurant in 1964.[4] His company grew rapidly, and the 868-restaurant chain was later sold to PepsiCo in 1978 for $125 million in stock.[11]

West Side and Cherry Valley Railroad

In the late 1970s, Bell opened a tourist railroad at Tuolumne, California.[12] This gauge railroad used the lower section of the track and several steam locomotives of the West Side Lumber Company railway. The operation offered boat rides on the old mill pond and RV parking. In the initial plan, there were themed areas of the park with restaurants and stores. Glen Bell was able to locate and purchase old equipment (trains, cars, water towers, etc.) that were used in logging operations and brought to the park. It closed in the early 1980s after falling traffic.

The property was eventually sold off to the Tuolumne tribe of the Mi Wuk Natives who have developed the land including event grounds.

Death

Bell died from Parkinson's disease on January 16, 2010, at age 86 in Rancho Santa Fe, California, leaving a wife, Martha; two sons; one daughter; four grandchildren; and three sisters.[13][14][15][16][17]

References

  1. Dennis Hevesi. Glen W. Bell Jr., Founder of Taco Bell, Dies at 86 The New York Times, January 18, 2010, retrieved January 18, 2010^
  2. Michael Kitchen. Taco Bell founder dies at age 86 MarketWatch, retrieved July 6, 2020^
  3. San Bernardino City Schools – Official Website – Distinguished Cardinal Citizens Sbcusd.com, 1936-12-07, retrieved 2015-01-29^
  4. Taco Bell founder dies at age 86 NBC News, 2010-01-18, retrieved 2015-01-29^
  5. Hadley Meares. Transforming the Taco: The Origins of Taco Bell KCET, 2016-09-16, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  6. Taco Bell www.tacobell.com, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  7. Wienerschnitzel story had its roots in Inland Empire April 16, 2013, retrieved January 16, 2023^
  8. Farley Elliott. Taco Bell Wouldn't Exist Without San Bernardino's Mitla Cafe Eater LA, January 30, 2015, retrieved July 6, 2020^
  9. Lisa Morehouse. So much more than tacos: San Bernardino's Mitla Cafe www.kalw.org^
  10. Newsletter: The best thing our restaurant critic ate this summer Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2019, retrieved July 6, 2020^
  11. Taco Bell founder dies at age 86 NBC News, January 19, 2010, retrieved 2023-04-23^
  12. Walt Cook. Taco Bell founder remembered The Union Democrat, 19 January 2010, retrieved September 16, 2017^
  13. AP. Taco Bell founder dies at age 86 msnbc.com, 2010-01-18, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  14. Myrna Oliver. Glen W. Bell Jr. dies at 86; founder of Taco Bell Los Angeles Times, January 19, 2010, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  15. Taco Bell founder Glen W Bell dies aged 86 Daily Telegraph, 2010-01-19, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  16. Mark Memmott. Glen Bell, Founder Of Taco Bell, Has Died NPR.org, January 18, 2010, retrieved 2019-01-31^
  17. Glen W. Bell Jr. Legacy.com, retrieved July 14, 2020^