Taco Bell Goes Where It All Began : Markets: Irvine-based chain shells out its Mexican fast food in Mexico City. Initial acceptance is promising, and company officials figure if they can sell there, they can sell anywhere.

When Taco Bell started its “Run for the Border,” it never stopped.

Taking its ad slogan a step further Thursday, the Irvine-based chain began selling tacos and burritos from a cart in Mexico City.

The taqueria is the first of four eateries the company plans to open in Mexico this year in an effort to learn what Mexicans think of its Americanized versions of Mexican food (although company officials concede that these versions may be a bit less Americanized). The cart was placed in a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant--KFC and Taco Bell are both subsidiaries of Pepsico Inc--in the middle-class Colonia de Valle neighborhood.

Raul Vertti, an engineer who stopped into KFC on his way to back to his office, was surprised by the cart. “We thought Kentucky Fried Chicken just had typical American food.”

His companion, Gerardo Rojas, found the Taco Bell food “well-presented, their sauce is good, even the tortillas are tasty.”

Taco Bell officials were encouraged. “We had a pretty good line for the lunch rush,” said Bob Jenkins, company director of International Field Services. “Tacos are what everybody eats. We expected our taco sales to be higher than our burritos. (But) the first hour, we were selling more burritos.”

Taco Bell has been one of America’s fastest-growing chains on the strength of inexpensive ground-beef tacos and bean burritos that true lovers of Mexican food might find a bit bland. But for the Mexican market, Jenkins said, Taco Bell has gone authentic. The limited menu consists of shredded chicken, beef or pork tacos or burritos and a choice of freshly made salsas, including the hot stuff.

With nachos and Pepsi, prices range from the equivalent of 74 cents to $1.17 per item, within financial reach of most Mexico City residents. By selling from a cart, Taco Bell avoids the high overhead costs that have forced some other American fast-food chains to cater only to wealthier Mexicans.

Jenkins said that in a country with more than 10,000 taco vendors, Taco Bell will stand out by developing a reputation for consistency, cleanliness and value. The meat comes prepared from the United States in ready-to-heat plastic bags, while the soft-grilled corn tortillas and other ingredients will be obtained in Mexico City.

Taco Bell has planned to enter Mexico for more than a year, Jenkins said. “It was a natural evolution to target Mexico.” The company already has stores in Costa Rica and Guatemala and is negotiating agreements for Chile and Ecuador.

It is not the first American chain to sell Mexican food to Mexicans. Jack in the Box has been selling tacos and Chicken Fajita Pita sandwiches in Tijuana since last year. Sales of both mitems have been good, but not spectacular, according to Mike Fulkerson, vice president of international franchising for Foodmaker Inc., the San Diego parent of Jack in the Box.

So now that Taco Bell has gone south, what’s next? Will Weinerschnitzel open in Germany?

“I never thought of that,” replied an amused Tom Amberger, marketing director for the hot dog chain operated by the Galardi Group in Irvine.