Taco Bell and franchisee Casual Brands Group to open 45 more restaurants by 2020.
IRVINE, Calif. (Dec. 13, 2016) – Taco Bell continues to accelerate its international growth by expanding further into the Spanish market.
Today, Taco Bell – the world’s largest Mexican-inspired restaurant chain – announced that the brand, in collaboration with its franchisee, Casual Brands Group of Madrid, will begin building an additional 45 restaurants across Spain and add more than 900 jobs to the local economy. By 2020, Spain will be home to more than 70 Taco Bell Restaurants and will be the largest market in Europe.
Casual Brands Group, led by CEO Ignacio Mora-Figueroa, began working with Taco Bell in 2008. The Group owns and operates all Taco Bell locations in Spain, as well as Juan Valdez ® Café and Delina’s®. Mora-Figueroa, recognized as Taco Bell’s International Franchisee of the Year in 2015, is a well-respected entrepreneur in Spain and has done an amazing job developing and promoting the brand.
“I am passionate about Taco Bell and what the brand stands for,” said Mora-Figueroa. “My team is committed to providing más flavor, más value, más enjoyment, and más life to all of our fans.”
Casual Brands Group has been integral in building an avid fan base of Taco Lovers across the country. Starting with their first restaurant in Madrid, they have now expanded to Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, and most recently Seville. In 2015 alone, Taco Bell and Casual Brands Group added 10 new locations, and there will be 31 Taco Bells across the country by the end of 2016.
“We are thrilled to continue our restaurant development in Spain alongside Ignacio, who has shown his commitment to investing and growing our brand since day one,” said Melissa Lora, President of Taco Bell International. “We’ve seen immense enthusiasm from our Spanish fans over the past eight years, and know they will continue to celebrate our Live Más spirit as we expand to more communities across the country.”
Taco Bell will continue with its transparent, open kitchen design that allows diners to see their meals being made fresh to order, as well as comfortable lounge seating and free Wi-Fi. In addition to being the first Taco Bell market in the world to serve beer, Spain has pioneered tapas-style happy hour promotions that showcase our ability to leverage local insights to create unique market specials. Spain’s Tuesday Taco Happy Day has now become a regular part of our fans weekly routine and continues to drive increased trial and loyalty for the brand.
There are currently more than 330 Taco Bell restaurants (including military bases) across 26 markets outside of the United States, with the goal of expanding the brand’s international presence to 1,000 restaurants by 2022. Domestically, Taco Bell is the nation’s leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. The Company and its franchisees operate more than 7,000 restaurants, generating more than $9B in sales. By 2022, the brand plans to become a $15B company in global system sales with 9,000 restaurants globally.
For more information about Taco Bell Spain, visit: Like: Facebook.com/tacobellspain Follow: @TacoBellSpain (Twitter) and @tacobellspain (Instagram)