Glen Bell is the founder of Taco Bell. But did you know that his first business was a burger restaurant called "Bell's Burgers?"

 Glen Bell is the founder of Taco Bell. But did you know that his first business was a burger restaurant called "Bell's Burgers?"

Taco Bell is known for its tasty, cheap Mexican-inspired food. But there’s more to the popular fast-food chain than meets the eye. 

From its exclusive Mountain Dew flavors to that undeniably addictive Doritos taco shell, there’s a lot to learn from this creative and innovative company.

Here are ten mildly spicy facts about Taco Bell that you may not know.You'd never know it from looking, but an unassuming little restaurant in sleepy San Bernardino, California was the birthplace of an American fast food icon: The hard-shelled ground beef taco.

Taco Bell, of course, is directly associated with the most American of taco choices: lightly-spiced ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, topped with neon-orange cheddar and served in a hard-shelled tortilla.

But it was Mitla Cafe, which opened decades before Taco Bell in 1937, that created and popularized it.85 years later, and Mitla Cafe is still standing. Better yet: It's still churning out incredible hard-shelled tacos that I tried last week.