Taco Bell's Phoenix Debut: 35th Avenue & Indian School Road (1967)

The very first Taco Bell in Phoenix, Arizona opened in 1967 at the intersection of 35th Avenue and Indian School Road.

Context

• Founder: Glen Bell (already had 100+ locations in CA).
• Phoenix in '67: Population ~580,000; sprawling, car-centric, hungry for fast Mexican-inspired food.
• Site: Northwest side, near Maryvale—a working-class, growing corridor. The original building is long gone (rebuilt/replaced multiple times), but the location remains a Taco Bell to this day.

This opening marked the chain's first major expansion outside California, launching its national trajectory. By 1970, Taco Bell went public; by 1978, PepsiCo acquired it. Today, Phoenix metro has 100+ locations.