Taco Bell
The largest Mexican-style fast-food chain in America, roughly 8,000 restaurants, and Yum! Brands’ biggest earner at home.
58 figures on Taco Bell, drawn from 8 Modern MBA case studies.
The figures
US dollars20
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2021 | $13B | 1st of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2019 | $12B | 2nd of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2020 | $12B | 2nd of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2018 | $11B | 4th of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2016 | $10B | 5th of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2017 | $10B | 5th of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2015 | $9B | 7th of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual global system sales by brand · 2014 | $8B | 8th of 8 · top $13B | Why KFC got so bad in America |
| Annual food and drink sales in the United States through the Great Recession, which rewarded the chain giving the most food for the least money · 2009 | $7B | 1st of 5 · top $7B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Annual food and drink sales in the United States through the Great Recession, which rewarded the chain giving the most food for the least money · 2010 | $7B | 1st of 5 · top $7B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Annual food and drink sales in the United States through the Great Recession, which rewarded the chain giving the most food for the least money · 2008 | $6.9B | 3rd of 5 · top $7B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Annual food and drink sales in the United States through the Great Recession, which rewarded the chain giving the most food for the least money · 2006 | $6.6B | 4th of 5 · top $7B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Annual food and drink sales in the United States through the Great Recession, which rewarded the chain giving the most food for the least money · 2007 | $6.4B | 5th of 5 · top $7B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Worldwide food and drink sales in the first years after the spin-off · 1999 | $5.2B | 3rd of 3 · top $9.6B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Worldwide food and drink sales in the first years after the spin-off · 1997 | $4.8B | 3rd of 3 · top $8.4B | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Average gross earnings per store in 2023 dollars · 2022 | $1.86M | 1st of 3 · top $1.86M | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Average annual gross earnings of a single brick-and-mortar location | $1,800,000 | 2nd of 4 · top $1,950,000 | How much a taco truck actually makes |
| Average gross earnings per store in 2023 dollars · 2000 | $1.2M | 2nd of 3 · top $1.47M | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Non-refundable upfront payment required to operate | $45,000 | 4th of 8 · top $50,000 | Why Crumbl won't last |
| Average check size against leading restaurant chains | $5.93 | 10th of 10 · top $26.50 | How much a taco truck actually makes |
Percentages19
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of 1999 transactions by time of day · Lunch | 50% | 1st of 3 · top 50% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of 1999 transactions by time of day · Dinner | 46% | 3rd of 3 · top 74% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2020 | 36% | 1st of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2022 | 35% | 2nd of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2018 | 33% | 3rd of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2013 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2014 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2015 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2016 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2017 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2019 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Share of YUM Brands profit by chain · 2021 | 32% | 4th of 10 · top 36% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store-level operating margin by restaurant chain in 2022 | 24% | 1st of 13 · top 24% | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store-level operating margins, 2018 | 24% | 3rd of 6 · top 30% | Why Crumbl won't last |
| Annual operating margins | 24% | 3rd of 8 · top 40% | Why donut shops out-earn Krispy Kreme |
| Restaurant-level operating margins across the industry in 2010 | 19.2% | 3rd of 8 · top 26.6% | Why Chipotle got so much worse |
| Store-level operating margins around the time of founding | 16% | 3rd of 6 · top 21% | Why Crumbl won't last |
| Percentage of sales paid to the franchisor as royalties and marketing fees | 9.8% | 5th of 8 · top 12.5% | Why Crumbl won't last |
| Royalty on gross sales charged to franchisees | 6% | 5th of 8 · top 15% | How much a Texas BBQ joint actually makes |
Counts18
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Store counts at home against everywhere else, 2022 · United States | 7,232 | 2nd of 6 · top 13,444 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2022 | 7,232 | 1st of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2021 | 7,012 | 2nd of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2020 | 6,833 | 3rd of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2019 | 6,774 | 4th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2018 | 6,577 | 5th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2017 | 6,438 | 6th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2016 | 6,208 | 7th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2015 | 6,080 | 8th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts in the United States · 2014 | 5,889 | 9th of 9 · top 7,232 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| Store counts at home against everywhere else, 2022 · International | 986 | 6th of 6 · top 26,831 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2002 | 267 | 1st of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2000 | 250 | 2nd of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2003 | 249 | 3rd of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2005 | 245 | 4th of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2001 | 239 | 5th of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2004 | 238 | 6th of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
| International store counts through Emil Brolick's tenure · 2006 | 238 | 6th of 7 · top 267 | Why Taco Bell got so expensive |
Durations1
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Months a restaurant must be open before it counts as comparable | 12 mo | 8th of 11 · top 24 mo | Why the Popeyes chicken sandwich was so good |
Case studies covering Taco Bell
Case study — Food & beverageWhy Chipotle got so much worseA weekly staple became a byword for small portions and high prices in under ten years. Here is what broke.10 min read
Case study — Food & beverageHow much a Texas BBQ joint actually makesOne in three fail, brisket yields 40%, and the biggest variable in whether you survive is one magazine editor's palate.16 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy Taco Bell got so expensiveThe most profitable chain in fast food is being squeezed hardest, and the reason is KFC and Pizza Hut.11 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy the Popeyes chicken sandwich was so goodThe sandwich came from a decade of R&D discipline its new owners inherited and did not build. That is the problem.14 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy donut shops out-earn Krispy KremeThe average Krispy Kreme grosses $119K a year. A 650 sq ft Portland shop grosses $600K at a 40% margin.12 min read
Case study — Food & beverageHow much a taco truck actually makesTwo sisters run fifteen unbranded taco stands in LA grossing $7.58M a year. Almost nobody knows the business exists.11 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy Crumbl won't lastMrs. Fields had its decade too. Crumbl store margins fell from 30% to 10% while corporate went from $4M to $152M.15 min read
Case study — Food & beverageWhy KFC got so bad in AmericaThe same company, the same recipe, two outcomes. What changed was who owns the buildings and cooks the chicken.11 min readNew episodes
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