Taco Bell Corp.

Founded: 1962 Franchising since: 1964
After leaving the Marine Corps at 23, Glen Bell came home to San Bernardino, California and opened a hot dog stand. But his real interest was in alternative menu items, so he began selling tacos for 19 cents from a side window of the hot dog stand. When the tacos proved as popular as he had hoped, he started opening Taco Tia stands where tacos were the stars of the menu. In 1962, Bell sold the Taco Tia brand to his partners and opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California. Franchising began two years later.

Today, Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., which also franchises A&W Restaurants, KFC, Long John Silver's and Pizza Hut. There are Taco Bell locations throughout the United States and the world.

Address: 17901 Von Karman Ave. Irvine, California 92614

Phone: (866)298-6986

Franchisor is a publicly-held company with 500 employee(s)

Franchise Units

Year	U.S. Franchises	Canadian Franchises	Foreign Franchises	Company Owned
2009	4,259	0	243	1,331
2008	4,279	0	237	1,304
2007	4,341	0	236	1,269
2006	4,577	86	149	1,275

Where Seeking Franchisees
Nationwide
Outside the U.S.: Asia, Canada, Central America, Middle East

Total investment: $1,324,300 - $2,465,500
Franchise fee: $45,000
Ongoing royalty fee: 5.5%
Term of agreement: 20 years, not renewable


Express/kiosk option available

Type of Financing Available

	In-House	Third Party
Franchise Fee	Yes	Yes
Startup Costs	Yes	Yes
Equipment	Yes	Yes
Inventory	Yes	Yes
Accounts Receivable	No	Yes
Payroll	No	Yes

Qualifications
Net worth requirement: $750,000
Cash liquidity requirement: $360,000
Business Experience:

• Industry experience
• General business experience
• Marketing skills

Operations

• Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 25
• Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Training

• Available at headquarters
• Additional training available

Ongoing Support

• Newsletter
• Meetings
• Grand opening
• Internet
• Security/safety procedures
• Field operations/evaluations

Marketing Support

• Co-op advertising
• National media
• Regional advertising

Franchise 500® rank:
#45 (2010); #20 (2009); #22 (2008); #35 (2006);

America's Top Global Franchises:
#39 (2010); #19 (2009); #15 (2008); #30 (2006);