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World's First-Ever Taco Bell Under 'Imminent Threat' of Demolition

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It was founded in Downey, California in 1962.

Where the first taco bell once stood.
pamlane/Flickr

One of the nation's greatest historical structures is under siege. According to the Downey Patriot, the building that once housed the world's first Taco Bell restaurant is under "imminent threat of demolition." In other words, the very bastion from which later generations would birth culture-bending creations like Waffle Tacos is in danger and somehow not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Taco Bell's founder Glen Bell built the first location of the chain in Downey, Calif. in 1962. The location eventually shuttered, and the space was most recently occupied by another independent fast-food restaurant called Seafood and Tacos Raul. Tacos Raul closed at the end of December, and the now-vacant building has been fenced off ever since.

The Downey Conservancy, a historical preservation group, plans to fight to save the building. They are even suggesting moving the building to another location within the city because the site where it currently stands "may not be the best for its future."

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