This iconic Bay Area Taco Bell, one of the last of its kind, to close after almost 60 years

LAFAYETTE, Calf. - After more than 50 years, an East Bay Taco Bell, housed in what's believed to be one of the chain’s last original mission-style buildings, is closing this week.   

KTVU has learned the Taco Bell in Lafayette, on Mountain Boulevard, will open for its last day on Tuesday.

Word of the impending closure has been circulating on social media, prompting many old-time customers to stop by for a photo with the iconic building as a backdrop or to order one last Soft Taco or Burrito Supreme. 

Many had believed the last day was Jan. 1, but restaurant employees said that was just a rumor.

Timeline:

The Lafayette site is said to have been in operation since 1968. There’s no easy way to verify the exact opening date, Lafayette Public Information Officer Suzanne Iarla told KTVU. 

The California-based Mexican fast food chain opened its first restaurant in 1962 in the Southern California city of Downey in Los Angeles County.

It has since become a global brand with more than 8,200 locations across the U.S. and some 1,100 restaurants in 31 countries.

Mission-style architecture

The Lafayette restaurant is the last of a handful of Taco Bells housed in the chain's original mission-style architecture.

The narrow building, with its earth-toned colors and brick floors, offers limited seating with counter-height tables and only about half a dozen stools available. 

A Taco Bell in Benicia at 700 Military West is believed to be the only other Bay Area location with the chain's early mission building style, according to findings from author and journalist Rolando Pujol. 

Legend and lore 

What they're saying:

Last month, the Lafayette Historical Society posted about the site, a city landmark well-known and beloved by locals, serving generations of customers. 

"Long before fast food went digital and Taco Bells glowed with LED signs, the Lafayette location on Mt. Diablo Boulevard had a real bell—tucked in an arched niche above the front door. It wasn’t flashy, but it had charm," the organization’s author John Kennett wrote.

The historian also shared a black and white photo of the building, which came from a 1973 Campolindo High School yearbook photo, courtesy of local journalist Mark Harrigan.

The image shows the building with its original cast iron bell. Kennett noted the bell was a magnet for teenage shenanigans, as he shared the legend of "Lafayette’s Great Taco Bell Bell Heist." 

"It was the kind of thing that begged for trouble, and eventually, trouble showed up," Kennett posted.

SEE ALSO: New Taco Bell Cantina just opened at this world-renowned Bay Area destination

He recounted local lore of the time the bell was stolen as a high school senior prank by a group of students at the 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," Kennett wrote. "As the story goes, they managed to loosen the bolts—but the bell was heavier than expected. One version claims it 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."

Facebook user Ted Reyes corroborated the notion that the bell was a target of high school fun. 

"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, playfully adding, "Names withheld to protect the guilty."

Others commented on the memories the place evoked: biking to the restaurant with friends, 25-cent tacos, stopping by after kids’ soccer practices, grabbing a quick meal during lunch breaks. 

What we don't know:

There's no word on why the chain decided to close this location. 

KTVU reached out to the company seeking comment but did not hear back.

Big picture view:

Long known for its small town charm, Lafayette has seen waves of new stores and restaurants pop up in the last decade or so, creating a vibrant scene in its downtown area. 

Many see the closure of the landmark building as a symbol of the city's past and an end of an era in the small, tight-knit community. 

The Taco Bell offered "almost six decades of tacos, teenage hijinks, and countless memories," Kennett reflected. 

"The bells may be gone, the niche bricked up," the historian said, "but the stories—and the legend—live on." 

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