A One-of-a-Kind Taco Bell Shuts Down After 60 Years While the Brand Marches On

A Taco Bell on Mount Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette, California, closed in January 2026 after more than half a century serving the East Bay community. The location opened in 1968 and became a local favorite for its quick service of burritos and tacos that cost only a fraction of a dollar at the time. The restaurant was one of only six mission-style Taco Bells remaining across the entire chain, which now operates more than 8,200 locations in the United States and 1,100 restaurants in 31 countries.

The narrow building features earth-toned colors, arched windows, tile roofing, and smooth stucco walls characteristic of Mission Revival architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Inside, the restaurant offered limited seating with counter-height tables and only about half a dozen stools available, along with brick floors. Taco Bell’s first location opened in 1962 in Downey, founded by World War II veteran Glen Bell. That original structure closed in 1986 but was later moved to the company’s Irvine headquarters in 2015 to avoid demolition.

The 400-square-foot Downey building, nicknamed Numero Uno, was removed from its foundation and trucked 45 miles to Irvine for preservation. Rumors about the Lafayette location closing had been circulating for months on social media before the shutdown, prompting customers to stop by for photos or to order one last meal. Many believed the final day was January 1, but restaurant employees said that was just a rumor, according to FOX 2. A Taco Bell in Benicia at 700 Military West is the only other Bay Area location with the early mission building style.

The Restaurant Evoked Decades of Memories for Longtime Customers

As word spread about the closure, old-time customers stopped by for photos with the iconic building or to order one last Soft Taco or Burrito Supreme, according to FOX 2. One local shared on Facebook in late December that they made one last visit to the Lafayette Taco Bell in early January 2026, noting it was one of only two restaurants left in Lafayette since they were kids in the 1970s.

Another patron posted on January 1, reminiscing about the restaurant’s perpetually old appearance being part of its charm. “Burritos were 75 cents. Tacos were 50 cents. Even if you were broke, you could scrape together enough change for a burrito with your friends,” he wrote. The lack of a drive-through meant customers had to go inside, stand in line, and watch their food being made, often chatting with whoever was next to them in the process. If you had extra change, you could drop it in the catch-the-change water game on the counter.

The Lafayette Historical Society addressed the closure, sharing a black and white photo from a 1973 Campolindo High School yearbook, courtesy of local journalist Mark Harrigan. Historian John Kennett reflected that the restaurant offered almost six decades of tacos, teenage hijinks, and countless memories. Other customers shared memories of biking to the restaurant with friends, 25-cent tacos, stopping by after kids’ soccer practices, and grabbing quick meals during lunch breaks, FOX 2 reported.

A Cast Iron Bell Sparked the Legend of the Great ‘Taco Bell’ Bell Heist

According to the Lafayette Historical Society, the restaurant was tied to a local urban legend known as Lafayette’s Great Taco Bell Bell Heist. Kennett wrote that long before fast food went digital and Taco Bells glowed with LED signs, the Lafayette location had a real bell tucked in an arched niche above the front door. “It wasn’t flashy, but it had charm,” he noted. The bell became a target for teenage pranks, with high schoolers throughout the 1980s and 1990s daring their friends to climb the building and steal it.

Kennett recounted local lore of a high school senior prank by students at nearby Acalanes High School decades ago. “Fueled by teenage bravado and probably too many bean burritos, they snuck out in the dead of night with a truck, some rope, and a half-baked plan,” he wrote. One version claims the bell crashed to the ground with a terrible clang. Another says they got it into the truck but panicked when a cop drove by and abandoned it in the bushes. “It was the kind of thing that begged for trouble,” Kennett added.

Facebook user Ted Reyes confirmed the bell was a target of high school pranks. “I saw said bell in a friend’s backyard probably 77 or 78. The threaded rod at the top of the bell was plugged into the ground with the whole bell upside down. It looked like a planter until my friend told me what it was,” Reyes shared in the post. The bell was stolen so frequently that it was eventually replaced with a neon sign, according to the Lafayette Historical Society.

The Building Marks the End of an Era for the Tight-Knit Community

The original bell is long gone, replaced by a plastic, illuminated version, according to the Lafayette Historical Society. “The bells may be gone, the niche bricked up, but the stories—and the legend—live on,” Kennett wrote. Many see the closure as marking the end of an era in the small community. Long known for its small-town charm, Lafayette has seen new stores and restaurants open in recent years, creating a vibrant downtown scene. The restaurant served as a city landmark beloved by locals for nearly six decades.

There’s no easy way to verify the exact opening date of 1968, Lafayette Public Information Officer Suzanne Iarla told KTVU. The company did not respond to KTVU’s requests for comment about why it decided to close this location. The restaurant remained a city landmark beloved by locals, serving generations of customers who grew up with the mission-style building as part of their lives. Author and journalist Rolando Pujol researched locations with the chain’s early mission building style, according to KTVU.

One patron reflected on what made the experience different from modern fast food. “No drive-through meant you actually had to go inside. You’d stand in line, watch them make your food, and end up chatting with whoever was next to you. It was just different. More human, I guess,” he wrote. The location represented late-night eats, after-school hangouts, and cheap bean burritos for anyone who grew up in Lafayette during the restaurant’s nearly six-decade run, according to customers who shared their memories online.