03-04-2025
Scoop: Scottsdale's retro Taco Bell is closing
The retro, mission-style Taco Bell in south Scottsdale will soon be replaced with a modern, drive-thru version of the Mexican food chain, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The restaurant, which first opened in the 1960s, was the 31st Taco Bell location and is among the oldest still operating in the U.S. It's one of very few that have maintained the original brick cantina design.
Visiting the classic restaurant is somewhat of a pilgrimage for the taco-loving, nostalgia-seeking among us.
State of play: The OG restaurant near McDowell and Hayden roads will serve its final crunchwraps once a new, under-construction Taco Bell is ready to open next door, local franchise owner Desert De Oro Foods confirmed to Axios.
There's no firm date on when the transition will occur, spokesperson Beth Vanderheyden said.
Employees at the old-school location told us it could be as soon as April 12.
Flashback: Taco Bell launched the nationwide rollout of the limited-edition " decades menu" at the restaurant in October.
The menu celebrated the chain's 50th anniversary with callbacks to popular orders from decades past.
The intrigue: Although Desert De Oro Foods has not yet formally announced the location's closing, word has gotten around on the Taco Bell-obsessed corners of the internet. The reactions have been a mix of sorrow and reverence.
"That should be put in the Smithsonian. Every brick," actor Joel McHale commented on an Instagram post about the closure.
Between the lines: The vintage restaurant, while objectively cool, is admittedly not equipped to handle the capacity or pace of today's fast-food demand.
There's an extremely narrow drive-thru, three tables in the dining room, about a half-dozen parking spaces, and bathrooms that can be accessed only by key from the outside.
What's next: The spiffy new Taco Bell will be able to churn through customers in a much more efficient manner with double drive-thru lanes, curbside pickup and a significantly larger kitchen space.
Yes, but: Maybe the key to " living más" all these years was slowing down.
What we're watching: Taco Bell fans are hoping the retro signage, if not the building itself, will be preserved in some way.
