Taco Bell designer, ex-president dies at 86

TUSTIN, Calif. — Robert L. McKay, who designed the first Taco Bell restaurant and with founder Glen Bell turned it from a quirky food stand into a fast-food empire, has died.

McKay, 86, died last week from cancer in Orange County, Calif., said his son Rob McKay.

Bell opened his first Taco Bell in Downey, Calif., in 1962, selling hardshell tacos and other Mexican-inspired fast food. McKay, an architect, designed the Spanish-style arched and tiled building that became the chain's signature look.

Intrigued by the fast-food concept, McKay closed his architectural firm and joined Taco Bell, eventually becoming president.

He helped familiarize American consumers with then-exotic Mexican dishes like tacos and burritos by introducing menus with phonetic pronunciations of food items and descriptions of each product's ingredients.

McKay embraced the concept of franchising, which led to rapid expansion of the company.

Taco Bell had around 900 restaurants when it was sold to PepsiCo in 1978 for $125 million in stock.

“Still today, Taco Bell's architecture of the ’60s and ’70s remains as one of the most recognizable and iconic designs of the era,” Taco Bell said in a statement Friday. “Not only did McKay play a significant role in the exterior look and feel of Taco Bell, his work as a close friend to Glen and eventual company president helped drive much of the growth and success of the global brand we know today.”