First Tribal-Owned Taco Bell Set to Open on Morongo Reservation

Popular Mexican chain will debut its newest restaurant Feb. 3 alongside the 10 Freeway.

CABAZON, CA – Taco Bell will begin serving its popular Mexican fare in the next week at a new quick-serve restaurant on the Morongo Indian Reservation – believed to be the first tribally owned Taco Bell in the nation

Targeted to open by Feb. 3, the restaurant is located off the 10 Freeway on Seminole Drive near the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa.  Most of the new restaurant’s 45 employees live in the Banning, Cabazon and Whitewater communities.

 “We are delighted that Taco Bell has chosen the Morongo Indian Reservation as its newest location,” said Chairman Robert Martin of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. “The addition of the nationally known Taco Bell brand will add to Morongo’s strong economic base and provide local jobs.”

The restaurant is majority-owned by Morongo, which partnered with longtime Taco Bell franchisee Mark Cook, whose family has owned and operated numerous successful Taco Bell restaurants across the Inland region for nearly 44 years.

“This great site is passed by millions of travelers every year, and I’m thrilled to be working with Morongo to bring this new restaurant to their family of businesses along the busy 1-10 corridor,” Cook said. “We look forward to delivering on our promise to diners who want to ‘Live Más’ by exploring the wide variety of craveable items on our menu.”

The new restaurant is another step in Morongo’s master-planned development blueprint for several miles along Interstate 10 in Cabazon.

Morongo is currently working with Forest City Enterprises Inc., a national real estate company, to further explore and expand the tribe’s retail, hospitality and service-related capabilities.