Yum! Plans Taco Bell’s Debut In China

As part of a wider initiative to make its three chains “global iconic brands,” Yum! Brands is launching Taco Bell in China. Yum CEO Greg Creed says Taco Bell will open its first store there by the end of the year. The Louisville, Ky., company already operates more than 7,000 restaurants in China, nearly all KFC and Pizza Hut outlets. Last October, it announced it would spin off its China operations, instead running two distinct companies: Yum Brands and Yum China, which will be headed by a predominantly Chinese leadership team. Creed described the new division as “a China company with Western roots.”