At his tiny hamburger stand in Southern California in 1951, Glen Bell first introduced many Americans to a new, delicious food from Mexico called the taco (ˈtä-kÅ?). And while he committed himself to mastering the art of quickly preparing his craveable creations, which he sold to grateful customers for a mere 19 cents, a taste revolution was afoot. Many couldn’t pronounce it correctly - but really, who cared? Glen understood that his customers were looking for something new and different. A delicious mix of innovation and value that would leave them wanting more.
The standards Glen set at his hamburger stand, and his first Taco Bell in 1962, are the same standards rooted in our more than 7,000 restaurants around the world. We know you expect uncompromised flavor and value in the food you love at Taco Bell. And we want that for you, too. You deserve to feel good about eating and sharing our food, and for us, that starts with ingredients simple to understand and more choices to fit your lifestyle, whatever that may be.
For more than ten years, we’ve been on a journey we call “Food for All” to provide these choices, made with simplified ingredients in a transparent way. We began posting our ingredients and nutrition information online in 2005, before consumers learned they should demand this type of transparency. That was just the beginning.
Fast forward to where we’ve reduced sodium across our menu by 15 percent since 2008, and this year have simplified our food by removing artificial flavors and colors (and more). We’re now in the process of determining where we can remove further preservatives and additives. And, we’re continuing to evolve our menu to deliver choices for all lifestyles – proud to call ourselves the first fast food restaurant with a certified vegetarian menu.
We’ve rallied around social issues that matter to you too. That’s why we’ve committed to sourcing 100 percent cage-free eggs for our breakfast menu by the end of 2016, and serving chicken raised with antibiotics important to human medicine by early 2017.
And with technology at your fingertips, we believe you should be able to create your own order in the easiest way possible. Cue our mobile ordering app. Add to that our nutrition calculator on ta.co, because we know how important it is for you to know what’s in your food.
It’s been a busy few years at the Bell. But we’re not done. We’re in this for the long haul, taking no short cuts when it comes to making changes that matter. Along the way we’re listening, taking your feedback and acting on it. And just like we want to hear from you, we know you also want to hear from us. So consider this your open invitation into our kitchens. We’re proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do to bring you food you love, and feel good about, and prouder still to share our journey with you.
Glen Bell created a recipe that created a craving for something previously unimagined, with a name that eventually stuck. And that today, we’re doing building on the crunchy taco’s recipe for success, satisfying a craving for flavor and a bit of the unexpected.