TACO BELL’S 100 STORE GOAL

Fresh off the back of a new partnership signing with operator Restaurant Brands, US franchise giant Taco Bell has unveiled plans to open 100 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand in just five years.

The Taco Bell Australian expansion is set to kick off with new restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, along with a number of additional sites in Brisbane. Fans can expect around 30 restaurant openings in the next 12 to 18 months.

While the latest expansion announcement marks a significant boom to the Australian operation, it’s been a long-time coming for the US franchise giant.

High-profile attempts at the Australian market in the 1980s and early 2000s were unsuccessful, but this time around the response has been overwhelming.

Taco Bell Australia’s third incarnation came in 2017 when the brand, in conjunction with operator Collins Foods Limited, launched its inaugural restaurant in Annerley. The subdued and understated opening escaped media attention, which Taco Bell Asia Pacific managing director Ankush Tuli revealed was a deliberate strategy to test the waters.

“We really came at it this time with the intention of making sure we laid a really solid foundation,” Tuli said.

The Mexican-inspired Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain currently operates five outlets in Queensland.

• Read more about the Taco Bell story on page 30.