Taco Bell Corp.
At a Glance
Products & Services: Quick-service Mexican restaurant
Number of Locations: 5,896
Total Investment: $1.32M - 2.47M
Founded: 1962
Began Franchising: 1964
About Taco Bell Corp.
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.
Franchise Units
| Year | U.S. | Canadian | International | Company Owned |
| 2011 | 4,389 | 0 | 260 | 1,247 |
| 2009 | 4,259 | 0 | 243 | 1,331 |
Where Seeking Franchisees: Franchisor is seeking new franchise units worldwide.
Startup Costs, Ongoing Fees and Financing
Total Investment: $1,324,300 - $2,465,500
Franchise Fee: $45,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: 5.5%
Term of Franchise Agreement: 20 years, not renewable
Franchise Fee: $45,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: 5.5%
Term of Franchise Agreement: 20 years, not renewable
Financial Requirements
Net Worth: $750,000
Liquid Cash Available: $360,000
Operations
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 25. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators).| Financing Type | In-House | Third Party |
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How This Franchise Supports Franchisees
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 Ranking History
Fastest-Growing: #20 (2012),
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