He Bought KFC and turned Yum! Brands into an Empire
Yum Brands, the parent company that owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, is ready to add 100,000 new restaurants to its portfolio, and that’s without acquiring any new brands. It’s a move that solidifies Yum’s position as the largest fast food company in the world.
Yum Brands currently operates 54,000 locations, and the chains under its umbrella are not only Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, but also The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain with approximately 300 locations nationwide. Adding 100,000 more locations to Yum’s roster will happen slowly over time—that figure is an estimate based on how much available space is within the market for Yum Brands to fill. But its annual growth projection is still impressive: In 2021, the group added 3,100 new locations, the most of any restaurant brand in a single year.
The company is specifically eyeing Taco Bell as a growth opportunity overseas. In the past, Yum has invested more in getting Pizza Hut and KFC growing in the international market. In fact, KFC is one of the biggest chains in the world, with 23,000 locations outside of the United States.