The mission-style Taco Bell at Hayden and McDowell in south Scottsdale now wears Filiberto’s colors, signaling that the months of guessing about the busy corner are officially over. The retro restaurant, a neighborhood fixture for almost 60 years, closed in April 2025, and since then the building has been repainted and stripped of its trademark bell. In its place, Filiberto’s Mexican Food is moving in and taking over the familiar late-night slot once held by Taco Bell.
Signage confirms Filiberto’s will move in
A local TV report published July 20 shows a Filiberto’s banner stretched across the façade with the old Taco Bell sign gone, as reported by 12News. The report notes that the building has a fresh coat of paint and that the Filiberto’s name now sits where the bell once hung.
How the switch unfolded
The mission-style spot, long known inside the company as Store 31, shut its doors in April 2025 after serving Scottsdale diners since the 1960s, according to KJZZ coverage at the time. Franchisee Desert De Oro Foods said it reassigned team members to a newly built, modern Taco Bell just up the road at 7901 E. McDowell Road, per the company’s blog.
Filiberto’s steps into a visible corner
Filiberto’s website touts “Over 100 Locations” and traces its Arizona roots to a first Valley outpost that opened in Mesa in 1993. The chain also highlights 24/7 service at many of its Valley restaurants, according to Filiberto’s, making the brand a familiar round-the-clock option for both drivers and late-night regulars in the area.
Local reaction and what’s next
When the Taco Bell closure hit last spring, readers and longtime customers shared memories and mixed feelings about losing the vintage architecture, according to coverage in the Phoenix New Times. On-the-ground photos from 12News show the Filiberto’s signage without any posted opening date, and as of that report neither the chain nor the property owner had publicly shared a timeline.
Why this matters to Scottsdale
The fate of this mission-style Taco Bell is part of a broader Valley trend in which retro fast-food buildings are either repurposed or wiped clean for new concepts, with local outlets keeping tabs on which classic signs survive and which disappear. Whether Filiberto’s preserves any of the building’s throwback character or opts for a full interior overhaul will decide if this corner hangs on to a slice of its past or fully leans into a new chapter.
