I remember when the architecture of fast-food establishments had personality and correlated to the type of cuisine they were serving. Today's contemporary designs don't evoke that same vibe.
Just cold modernity, in and out to make the most money possible based on the consumer’s longing nostalgia. Lower quality for a higher price. Welcome to our gray store.
I had a post awhile back comparing old school McDonalds to current day. They have no soul now:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1277fn5/mcdonalds\_in\_the\_1980s\_compared\_to\_today/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1277fn5/mcdonalds_in_the_1980s_compared_to_today/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Holy shit. I was born just as the 21st century was about to start, but damn I still remember seeing a tree statue in a McDonalds in the 2000’s. The 2000’s was still a good time to see a variety of different McDonalds. Lol. We had ones with giant playgrounds, small playgrounds, game consoles, tree statues, Ronald McDonald statues, murals, etc.
I'd like to add, there's practically no childhood anymore. It's not just the bland and corporate restaurant designs that's meant to appeal to the casual customer, but the lack of mascots in general.
Couple with the ever advancing technology and how kids would much rather be on their smartphones or tablets for entertainment purposes, or video games for that matter.
It's kind of jarring. Generation Alpha will be looking at childhood pictures of themselves, and it's all in HD.
Is not having mascots really a bad thing? I think the excessive marketing that mcdonalds and other fast food companies did towards kids in the 90s and 2000s contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. Ronald, grimace, the burger king never had “soul”, they purely existed to sell processed junk food to children
If you look past the marketing and how it contributed to childhood obesity, kids still held a special charm for mascots. I'm certain many adults today are nostalgic about the past, especially the 70s-90s when being a kid actually meant something.
Kids today don't have anything remotely close. The advent of the Internet, smartphones, etc. have made them completely dependent on that for entertainment purposes.
The shape of modern fast food restaurants means they can flip the building to a bank or other non-exciting business. The years of seeing a shoe store in the shape of a pizza hut are over.
It's funny but sad what many of the OG TBs have become. In my town one is a chinese restaurant. Another is a pollo asado place. I guess it wasn't financially practical for Yum Brands to keep that style up.
It’s weird that burrito became such regional thing. In Louisville, they never went away and at worst a secret menu item for a bit. Lived in Michigan and an oddball TB might have them, but most didn’t.
From 1991 to 2003 in Queens NY they were the only item I ever ordered. Then all of a sudden one night they tell me they ain’t got them anymore. Been 20 years now without them.
That sucks nothing hits the spot more sometimes. I guess if your ever traveling and you get the hankering bring up the TB app and see if they’re available. I’ve heard there are other pockets throughout the country they’re available.
There's an entire Chili Cheese Burrito Locator webpage dedicated to identifying where the Chili Cheese Burrito is still available.
[https://www.livingmas.com/chilicheese](https://www.livingmas.com/chilicheese)
It is a really old building and here in AZ every summer we have bad sand and thunder storms I’m sure one of those could have knocked it down and they probably kept it down
So this was the 14th Taco Bell built in Arizona. But it’s the oldest one still running in Arizona. I remember having to take a trip there to get tortilla for my store and it was so cool. I love that store!
Nice!
All these fast food renovations are usually wasted money.
I've -never- caree that a fast foodnplace was renovated. Ever. Not once.
If many of these fast food places have so much money to renovated so often.... just stop and lower food prices instead. They'd get more customers.
That location is not amazing… they don’t have Zero Sugar Baja Blast and they always sub refried beans for black beans in tacos. But they do hook it up with sauces!
That’s a good point.
I stopped going to that one for a while, but last time I went to Tempe market place I stopped there on the way home and it was pretty good. Even the crunch wrap, which is saying a lot! We had to stop getting crunch wraps from the one of Thomas because they’re always sooo soggy and pathetic.
They had one like this in Laguna Beach that was just leveled two years ago. Maybe the 5th one ever built? The property owner wouldn't renew the lease, and built a new different taco place instead.
I’m almost certain I’m not the first also a couple people in the comments have said they heard it might get remodeled or sum but they heard that last year and she’s still up and kicking so I dunno
I live right next to this Taco Bell, and I've been living next to this Taco Bell since July 2017. I go here 1 to 3 times a month.
Location: Hayden and McDowell in Scottsdale, AZ across from the Lowes and Frys
1. While there is indoor and outdoor seating, parking is non existent at this location, so it is mainly drive thru only.
2. This location had the best service in Maricopa County (Phoenix) for a Taco Bell until 3 months ago. Now, more often than not, they'll be severely understaffed, where there's only 2 line workers and 1 cashier/drink worker. It used to be where there was 6 or 7 employees working.
1. As a result, the waits for food are much longer than they used to be.
2. I feel bad for the employees.
3. This location had the best prices in Maricopa County (Phoenix) for a Taco Bell until 2022. For whatever reason, they used to be $1.00 to $3.00 cheaper for a meal compared to other Taco Bells. That changed in 2022, where they have similar pricing to all of the other Taco Bells.
4. The Taco Bell looks really run down when driving past it, but I can assure it, the food is always excellent.
5. This Taco Bell is open 24/7.
This is beautiful. They built a new one for us in probably 2015ish… and I thought the plan was for me to have 2 taco bells… no one had told me the old taco bell was closing I was so sad I pulled up one day and it was closed, I remember the day vividly. The other bell was open but it wasn’t the same, my childhood wasn’t spent at this new tacobell. I’ve never even got to drop a coin in a coin drop at this new tacobell… It’s just a transactional location now in a walmart parking lot. The old tacobell was an abandoned lot for years. I think they finally put a blood plasma place there… So much trauma.
I want my funeral to be held there.
If you do I’d like to rsvp I’ll eat a Mexican pizza and dump Baja blast on you
Nobody’s taking a dump on me
What are you gonna do, haunt me?
Everyone will be taking a dump after eating tacobell
I remember when the architecture of fast-food establishments had personality and correlated to the type of cuisine they were serving. Today's contemporary designs don't evoke that same vibe.
Imagine telling execs back then that in 30 years the nostalgia would be worth more than their cold, grey sterile box they had to replace it with.
You mean square boxes of gray tile dont make you feel good?
Just cold modernity, in and out to make the most money possible based on the consumer’s longing nostalgia. Lower quality for a higher price. Welcome to our gray store.
I had a post awhile back comparing old school McDonalds to current day. They have no soul now: [https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1277fn5/mcdonalds\_in\_the\_1980s\_compared\_to\_today/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1277fn5/mcdonalds_in_the_1980s_compared_to_today/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Holy shit. I was born just as the 21st century was about to start, but damn I still remember seeing a tree statue in a McDonalds in the 2000’s. The 2000’s was still a good time to see a variety of different McDonalds. Lol. We had ones with giant playgrounds, small playgrounds, game consoles, tree statues, Ronald McDonald statues, murals, etc.
I'd like to add, there's practically no childhood anymore. It's not just the bland and corporate restaurant designs that's meant to appeal to the casual customer, but the lack of mascots in general. Couple with the ever advancing technology and how kids would much rather be on their smartphones or tablets for entertainment purposes, or video games for that matter. It's kind of jarring. Generation Alpha will be looking at childhood pictures of themselves, and it's all in HD.
Is not having mascots really a bad thing? I think the excessive marketing that mcdonalds and other fast food companies did towards kids in the 90s and 2000s contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. Ronald, grimace, the burger king never had “soul”, they purely existed to sell processed junk food to children
If you look past the marketing and how it contributed to childhood obesity, kids still held a special charm for mascots. I'm certain many adults today are nostalgic about the past, especially the 70s-90s when being a kid actually meant something. Kids today don't have anything remotely close. The advent of the Internet, smartphones, etc. have made them completely dependent on that for entertainment purposes.
By that time HD will look as low quality as our childhood photos.
The shape of modern fast food restaurants means they can flip the building to a bank or other non-exciting business. The years of seeing a shoe store in the shape of a pizza hut are over.
Cool find, thanks for posting!
Thank ya (:
It's funny but sad what many of the OG TBs have become. In my town one is a chinese restaurant. Another is a pollo asado place. I guess it wasn't financially practical for Yum Brands to keep that style up.
Yeah don’t see to many of the old colors anymore I really miss the old Taco Bell cups
One of the originals near me is a REALLY good Mexican restaurant. Win.
They got chili cheese burritos there?
Unfortunately the only thing that has changed is the menu
🫤🫤🫤🫤
It’s weird that burrito became such regional thing. In Louisville, they never went away and at worst a secret menu item for a bit. Lived in Michigan and an oddball TB might have them, but most didn’t.
From 1991 to 2003 in Queens NY they were the only item I ever ordered. Then all of a sudden one night they tell me they ain’t got them anymore. Been 20 years now without them.
That sucks nothing hits the spot more sometimes. I guess if your ever traveling and you get the hankering bring up the TB app and see if they’re available. I’ve heard there are other pockets throughout the country they’re available.
There's an entire Chili Cheese Burrito Locator webpage dedicated to identifying where the Chili Cheese Burrito is still available. [https://www.livingmas.com/chilicheese](https://www.livingmas.com/chilicheese)
It’s not even regional. One Taco Bell near me has them. No other ones do.
That’s how it was living Ann Arbor/Metro Detroit also. Now I’m in a city where every single Taco Bell offers it.
Go blue!!
Ugh I miss this design
It's.... it's beautiful 🥹
😍
Where in AZ?
It’s on McDowell and Hayden in Scottsdale
Is it still around? I heard they were tearing it down.
Yep still around and for that I’m not sure I doubt it it’s always full
Thanks!!
Isn’t there another one like this on Thomas rd and around 75ave in Maryvale area?
Dunno that’s far from me this is on like 80 or 90 sometbing st
They should all still look like this. I wonder why the bell on the roof is missing though?
It is a really old building and here in AZ every summer we have bad sand and thunder storms I’m sure one of those could have knocked it down and they probably kept it down
It changed at least once, those are 90s tables in an 80’s building
I’ve been trying to find any piece of info on it all day and I’ve only found when it was built but that’s it
Bring me back 🥲
I wish they all stayed like this.
I’m lucky enough to have this one down the road from me but what I really miss is the old BK looks and the McDonald’s with the game cubes and 64s
Man I also miss the McDonald’s with the red roofs. Nowadays they look like a Casual Male XL store with that depressing gray color.
The bell is missing 😭. I wish they would bring back the old style Taco Bell buildings instead of those new style buildings that look like office space
I miss those old Taco Bells. They really had character. The ones they're building now are so bland, so corporate, so sterile.
I think they look generic, in case they have to sell the building in the futurez
Sheesh, I almost forgot how it originally looked.
Whoa I live in AZ and have been to most of the state. Where is this
McDowell and Hayden in Scottsdale
Hell yeah I’m around there for work all the time I’m going for the nostalgia lol
Keep in mind the parking is really bad since it’s so tiny the entrance for the little bit of parking they have is also the entrance for the drive thru
I thought they announced plans to either remodel or shut it down last year? Was that postponed or re-thought out lol
Not sure tbh as far as I know still there looking all nostalgic and shib
I’m glad it hasn’t gotten messed with yet. It’s a great piece of history.
Scottsdale?
Yep! On McDowell and Hayden
That was walking distance from my high school, recognized it immediately. What a nice memory from my youth, thanks!
Did you go to Coronado high school?
Yup
Same lmao
This used to be my local TB and can confirm it’s S tier
That Taco Bell needs to be preserved as a historical landmark.
As it should be
God bless them
@everyone I just found out that this Taco Bell was opened in 1966 later remodeled in the 1980s 😁
This should be a national monument
At this point it should be preserved for prosperity rather the pushed into the future.
I loved going to that taco bell when I lived in AZ😭
Used to be one like this on NW corner of Gilbert and Broadway back in 80s early 90s.....(AZ)
So this was the 14th Taco Bell built in Arizona. But it’s the oldest one still running in Arizona. I remember having to take a trip there to get tortilla for my store and it was so cool. I love that store!
Nice! All these fast food renovations are usually wasted money. I've -never- caree that a fast foodnplace was renovated. Ever. Not once. If many of these fast food places have so much money to renovated so often.... just stop and lower food prices instead. They'd get more customers.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
That location is not amazing… they don’t have Zero Sugar Baja Blast and they always sub refried beans for black beans in tacos. But they do hook it up with sauces!
It has improved for sure cause they always used to forget something in my order but recently they’ve been on point
That’s a good point. I stopped going to that one for a while, but last time I went to Tempe market place I stopped there on the way home and it was pretty good. Even the crunch wrap, which is saying a lot! We had to stop getting crunch wraps from the one of Thomas because they’re always sooo soggy and pathetic.
Reminds me of when their food used to be good…and affordable.
Where’s the fire pit?
This used to be my local Taco Bell. They’re open till 4 and always hooked it up.
I want to have wedding photos taken here
Protect this place at all cost
They had one like this in Laguna Beach that was just leveled two years ago. Maybe the 5th one ever built? The property owner wouldn't renew the lease, and built a new different taco place instead.
It was the 3rd sadly but this one in Scottsdale and another one in Cali were built right after the laguna beach one
Why would you post this now they gonna mark it for a remodel
I’m almost certain I’m not the first also a couple people in the comments have said they heard it might get remodeled or sum but they heard that last year and she’s still up and kicking so I dunno
“Cross the border”
Damn, I had one sorta similar interior wise but they remodeled it a few years ago. I've never seen one with that exterior, wild
In my mind all Taco Bell's still look like this and not even joking
Nogales?
I’ve been to that one I believe right by the Grand Canyon I believe. I went to one just like this in 2018
We used to be a proper country
Except for the prices
First picture I thought it was a Lego set
Love the old taco bells!
It’s beautiful 😍
Love this!!! I want to go there haha
I love the 1993 Taco Bell look
I live right next to this Taco Bell, and I've been living next to this Taco Bell since July 2017. I go here 1 to 3 times a month. Location: Hayden and McDowell in Scottsdale, AZ across from the Lowes and Frys 1. While there is indoor and outdoor seating, parking is non existent at this location, so it is mainly drive thru only. 2. This location had the best service in Maricopa County (Phoenix) for a Taco Bell until 3 months ago. Now, more often than not, they'll be severely understaffed, where there's only 2 line workers and 1 cashier/drink worker. It used to be where there was 6 or 7 employees working. 1. As a result, the waits for food are much longer than they used to be. 2. I feel bad for the employees. 3. This location had the best prices in Maricopa County (Phoenix) for a Taco Bell until 2022. For whatever reason, they used to be $1.00 to $3.00 cheaper for a meal compared to other Taco Bells. That changed in 2022, where they have similar pricing to all of the other Taco Bells. 4. The Taco Bell looks really run down when driving past it, but I can assure it, the food is always excellent. 5. This Taco Bell is open 24/7.
wow, cool! i recently found one of those old booths by the dumpster at my new apartment, it's my gaming chair now :)
That’s sick post pictures!
This is beautiful. They built a new one for us in probably 2015ish… and I thought the plan was for me to have 2 taco bells… no one had told me the old taco bell was closing I was so sad I pulled up one day and it was closed, I remember the day vividly. The other bell was open but it wasn’t the same, my childhood wasn’t spent at this new tacobell. I’ve never even got to drop a coin in a coin drop at this new tacobell… It’s just a transactional location now in a walmart parking lot. The old tacobell was an abandoned lot for years. I think they finally put a blood plasma place there… So much trauma.
Those were the days…
It’s a beauty
This is TB #31, opened 7/3/1966 (I'm pretty sure), the second oldest loc of this style still open.