Entrepreneur USA - January 2018

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TACO BELL

TACO BELLis having a “go big

or go home” moment—

announcing this year that

it plans to expand from

6,500 to 9,000 restaurants

globally, and to reach

$15 billion in sales by 2022.

The focus is on adding

restaurants in Brazil, Can-

ada, China, and India, but it

will also press harder in

pedestrian-heavy urban

markets in the U.S. with its

new Cantina-style restau-

rants. (That’s basically Taco

Bell, but with booze on the

menu as well—including, of

course, spiked slushies.)

This heavy push, and the

enthusiasm it has attracted

from customers and

franchisees, has launched

America’s favorite Mexican

joint back into our top 10

for the first time since 2003.

But to CEO Brian Niccol,

these ambitious goals are

merely an extension of the

fast-moving attitude Taco

Bell has been pushing for

years. “As the restaurant

continues to add menu

items like the Naked

Chicken Chalupas and

Power Bowls, franchisees

have embraced that what’s

Taco Bell

Founded/ 1962

Worldwide units/ 6,800

U.S. units/ 6,500

Cost to open a unit/ 525,100 to $2.62 million $

successful in the past won’t

necessarily be so in the

future,” Niccol says. “They

are very passionate about

learning, new ideas, and

connecting with youth.”

Those creative menu items

aren’t just for jokes or PR,

either. They drive big-time

sales. In 2012, when the

company adopted its “Live

más” tagline and launched

ZIPS Dry Cleaners is well on the way to 300 locations

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