Taco Bell started with a hot dog stand in San Bernardino in 1946.  The company was off to a good start right from the beginning.  In 1969, Taco Bell went public and in 1978 the chain was sold to PepsiCo.  Today the company's headquarters are in Irvine, California.  According to fast food facts, this location manages the more than 6,500 Taco Bell franchises operating in the United States.  The restaurant chain has expanded to include 280 fast food outlets in Canada, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Europe and Asia.  There are also a great number of smaller outlets, characterized by a reduced version of the Taco Bell menu, operating in airports, department stores, cafeterias, hotels and malls.
 
According to fast food facts, Taco Bell had to change its menu due to the nutritional value of some items.  The company gave up some of its menu items including the "Taco Lite", a tortilla shell with beef, lettuce, sour cream, cheese and tomatoes.  Some of the ingredients were removed, such as black olives due to high sodium content.  Some items were dropped because they didn't enjoy popularity among customers, like the "Bell Beefer", designed in the 1980s.  Wars between hamburger fast food outlets influenced Taco Bell in such a way that the company now encourages its customers to substitute tortilla for the bun.  Fast food facts also report that the company uses products of the highest quality, including meat.  This results in Taco Bell having fewer cases of food poisoning.
 
In 1996 Taco Bell announced that it had purchased the Liberty Bell and changed its name to the "Taco Liberty Bell".  This announcement provoked objections on the part of thousands of people.  In 1998, the Taco Bell Chihuahua was introduced to the public and brought immense popularity to the "Yo quiero Taco Bell" campaign.  In Spanish this means "I want Taco Bell".  The company shifted its focus in the mid-2000s when Taco Bell started promoting its value menu, using the slogan "I'm full" in its commercials.  Taco Bell's slogans have been modified from time to time, including "Run for the border", "Fetch that food!" and "Eat Great, Even Late".  The company's slogan "Think outside the bun" reflected its competition with hamburger-selling enterprises.
 
Facing fast food facts again we can trace the company's involvement in a series of protests and boycotts.  In 2005, the company came into conflict with Florida tomato growers.  The conflict was resolved in March of 2005, when Taco Bell agreed to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes.  There are various predictions concerning the future of the company.  It is seen by some people as the only restaurant franchise in the future.  However, the restaurant is sometimes referred to as "Pizza Hut".  Movies include scenes displaying pronounced signs of "Pizza Hut" instead of "Taco Bell".  One of the possible reasons for this change is a cultural difference.  In some countries, like Germany, Taco Bell is not established and is therefore substituted in commercials and movies for more well-known fast food chains.