Taco Bell will open at least 100 new locations each in China, Brazil, Canada, and India during the next five years in an effort to boost the brand’s store count by more than 30 percent.
Melissa Lora, president of Taco Bell International, told Bloomberg that the brand is focusing on those four countries due to “big economies” and “youthful populations.”
The push is part of Taco Bell’s effort to raise global sales from $10 billion to $15 billion annually while creating 100,000 new jobs by 2022. The growth plan will also include adding U.S. units.
Taco Bell’s same-store sales grew by 8 percent in the first quarter of 2017, driven by new menu innovations like the $1 Double Stacked Tacos, Naked Chicken Chalupas, and Triple Double Crunchwrap.
Parent company Yum! Brands hasn’t had as much success with the rest of its portfolio; the company is investing $130 million toward transforming Pizza Hut, which has experienced a decline in sales and traffic.
