The full mission statement for Taco Bell says, “We are proud to serve the best Mexican-style fast food with fast, friendly, and correct service. We are the best place to work because we give our team members the chance to grow, move up, and have rewarding careers in a fun, safe environment. In everything we do, we are responsible for making money and giving our shareholders more value.
Yum! Brands owns Taco Bell. They bought the company from its founder, Glen Bell. KFC and Pizza Hut are also owned by Yum! Brands. Glen Bell, who started Taco Bell, had a personal mission and many ideas about food, people, and business that helped Taco Bell do well in the beginning. On the company’s website, there is a quote from Glen Bell that says, “You make yourself who you are.”
Bell grew up in poverty, and he had to work to help support his family from a very young age. As a Marine, he was sent overseas in 1943. There, he learned how to buy, cook, and manage food for a large number of people. When Glen Bell had the chance to go into business for himself, he thought it was important to make good food affordable for hard-working Americans. He started by selling burgers, which he paid for by selling his sister’s fridge. The business did well, and the successful businessman later changed the fast-food market when he sold the first fast-food taco in the 1950s. In the 1960s, Glen Bell decided that his restaurant’s architecture needed a more authentic look. He hired an architect to give the company a new look by creating the mission-style look that most Taco Bells still have today. There are now more than 6,000 Taco Bells in the United States.
