E-Paper
Dirty Sodas and Crispy Chicken: How Taco Bell Aims to Keep Beating Burgers
Sean Tresvant outlines his strategies for the Mexican-inspired fast-food chain to grow abroad, lure Gen Z consumers and sell billions of dollars in beverages.
Taco Bell once encouraged customers to “think outside the bun.” These days, the Mexican-inspired chain is thinking outside the tortilla.
Chief Executive Sean Tresvant sees an opportunity for beverages and crispy chicken to play a bigger role in Taco Bell’s business. He is focusing marketing efforts on younger consumers and wants to add more international locations—maybe even Mexico.
Momentum is on Tresvant’s side. Taco Bell reported a 4% increase in same-store sales for its most recent quarter, outpacing rivals—though analysts were expecting even more. The Yum Brands-owned chain is the fourth-largest U.S. fast-food brand by sales, eclipsing rivals Wendy’s and Burger King roughly a decade ago and widening its lead since, according to market-research firm Technomic.
The 55-year-old CEO sat down at a Taco Bell near the company’s Irvine, Calif., headquarters to outline his strategy to keep the chain growing. Here are some takeaways from the interview:
All in on chicken…
Chicken is part of 40% of Taco Bell’s orders these days, way up from last year’s 25%. The chain now sells bowls with slow-roasted chicken and offers crispy strips in tacos and burritos. Chicken nuggets, which Taco Bell tested this year, are on tap to join the permanent menu in 2026.
Taco Bell’s chicken sales have grown 50% from 2023 and are on pace to double to $5 billion by 2030. Consumers are increasingly choosing poultry when they eat out, and it is the key to building dinner sales, he said.
…along with ‘dirty sodas’ and churro chillers
Taco Bell helped popularize Mountain Dew Baja Blast soda, and Tresvant said there are billions of dollars in additional beverage sales that the restaurant chain can capture. The company is building “Live Más Cafés” within existing Taco Bell locations to promote drinks, carrying 30 unique beverages geared toward younger consumers.
Beverages including energy drinks and so-called dirty sodas—which are mixed with syrups, creamers and other ingredients—are increasing sales by 40% in their initial test, and Taco Bell plans to open 30 Live Más Cafés this year.
Taco Bell isn’t the only chain targeting drinks to boost sales. McDonald’s is testing new cold beverages, and Starbucks is adding protein-infused cold foam and other trendy drinks to its menu.
Taco Bell needs Gen Z to crave it
When Tresvant became Taco Bell’s CEO last year, he felt the brand was trying to market to too many different consumers and decided to pursue a more-focused approach. He has his eye on customers ages 18 to 30—Gen Z, more or less. An estimated 9% of Taco Bell customers qualify as Gen Z, up from 7% in 2023, according to market-research firm Numerator.
“Brands that break through speak to somebody specifically, and who we speak to is somebody we call the ‘cultural rebel,’ ” Tresvant said.
Young consumers also tend to like deals, which played into Taco Bell last year creating discounted mix-and-match meal boxes. The chain is adding to its value options, testing a menu of $3-or-less items.
Standing for more than fast food
Tresvant, a former Nike marketing chief, sees parallels between selling shoes and tacos, using storytelling to capture customers’ attention and playing to products’ cool factor. He said he studies sports, art, culture and music for inspiration as to where Taco Bell might want to show up.
Earlier this year, Taco Bell rented out a downtown Brooklyn music venue where social-media influencers lined up with the public to taste food, while actress Ashley Park hyped new menu items. Tresvant plans to continue harnessing sports personalities too, such as professional skateboarder Tony Hawk—who “really does eat Taco Bell,” Tresvant said.
International runway
Taco Bell has slowly expanded outside the U.S., but nowhere near as much as Yum Brands chains KFC and Pizza Hut. KFC now has about 28,000 locations outside the U.S., versus Taco Bell’s roughly 1,100.
“We know there’s a long runway internationally,” Tresvant said.
He wants to nearly triple Taco Bell’s global footprint by 2030 by entering new countries, such as Greece and Ireland, while expanding in the U.K., Spain, Australia and India. Part of that includes tailoring the menu to different countries’ taste preferences.
Mexico currently isn’t at the top of the list, but Tresvant didn’t rule it out. Taco Bell operators opened some restaurants in Mexico in the 1990s and 2000s but pulled out after they struggled.
Now is a different time for the brand, Tresvant said. “No country is off limits.”
Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com
