Posted on 01/14/2015 9:19:31 PM PST by chrisinoc
DOWNEY — The building that housed the world’s first Taco Bell is under “imminent threat of demolition,” according to the Downey Conservancy, a Downey-based preservation group.
Although Downey is more famously recognized as the site of the oldest operating location for the world’s largest hamburger chain, it is Taco Bell that built its very first location within the city. The building, located at 7112 Firestone Blvd, was opened by founder Glen Bell in March 1962.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedowneypatriot.com ...
Save the cat food!
Yum foods or frito lay or whoever owns it has enough money to have it packed in styrofoam peanuts and sent anywhere in the world with champagne and a movie.
I saw a documentary where a motorcycle cop drove up to the location and Bell was working on the building. The cop asked Bell what he was doing. He told him and the cop said he’d like to invest some of his retirement money. He did and got rich.
Bell himself sold out years ago. It’s said that he like creating the business but he hated running it.
Carls Jr. begs to differ.
It was probably decent quality food when he ran it. I ate there tonite and it was expensive and disgusting. I could not eat the beef meximelt - it was gross.
One problem is I think I read somewhere that the first home the Carpenter family purchased and lived in after they moved from New Haven, CT, was demolished for some urban development project, maybe a freeway.
Time marches on. America has demolished a lot of the old heritage in the name of progress. Fortunately some still remains. Europe has managed to modernize and preserve much of the Old World charm.
Ahhhh....back when a bean burrito was 10 cents .....red or green
Went there with a girlfriend when I was a wee lad.
I worked at the one in Santa Cruz and thought it would be fun to visit the original.
He might have eaten there but, no way she did...
Is this where they did their recent Gay commercial.
Karen Carpenter was just one beef burrito away from still being alive.
By the late 1970's, Wenzel's Music Town was specializing in collectible records and became well-known to collectors throughout the Southland until it closed in the 1990's.
Their first home was in the general area as my family's home in southern Downey and was taken out by the Century Freeway.
The Carpenters attended Long Beach State (just before me) and have the Performing Arts Center named after them.
Reminds me of when we were offered to invest in two new businesses. MINIE PEARL’S FRIED CHICKEN and WALMART.
One went belly up, the other...Well I know lots of people who wish they could kick their butts for not coming up with a few bucks.
Downey used to be a middle class, conservative city. With the closing of North American Rockwell and nearby General Motors and facilities the conservatives moved out and the area is now Dem stronghold.
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