Taco Bell looks to double international outlets, centralising on their APAC expansion

The US-based taco chain says that the market is getting more familiar with Mexican food.

Taco Bell is planning to double their international stores making the Asia Pacific (APAC) region the centre of its expansion.

The taco chain currently has over 400 outlets across 28 markets outside the US. Reuters reported that around half of the upcoming sites will be in the APAC. A senior executive of the taco chain said that the move is driven by the growing awareness of Mexican food in the region and by the wider palette of the millennials.

Last week, Taco Bell opened their debut store in Bangkok, Thailand. In a report by Bloomberg, the chain’s international president Liz Williams said that they are eyeing 40 sites in the country.

"What we think is hot and spicy in the U.S. is just starting off in Thailand on the spice scale, so we dialed up the sauces," Williams said in the interview with Bloomberg. "We’re starting first with Thailand, and then building the business model here and seeing what could translate to neighboring countries."

Last year, Taco Bell’s Australian franchisee Collins Foods expressed plans to open 50 stores in the Land Down Under in the next three years. Restaurant Brands then announced a few months later that they are slated to launch 60 more across Australia and New Zealand by 2024. This brings a total of 110 upcoming locations on the area in the next five years.

In a prior interview with Liz Williams, she told QSR Media that there’s a “huge opportunity” for the brand’s growth, especially in India and China.

“[We’re] taking time to go to the market in the Taco Bell way. It’s easy to do that because you see so much opportunity. Taking the time to find the right partner, getting the right site are really important, and getting the scale. It takes time to go into the market and get the partnership and to have that scale,” Williams said.

She also said that they are launching stores with a design and menu that is suitable to the local market. For instance, their new Bangkok store is serving offerings that caters to the locals’ fondness for spicy food such as the Kickin’ Chicken Taco which is consists of crispy chicken, a unique spicy Kickin’ Sauce, lettuce, pico de gallo salsa and two-cheese blend.

Photo credit: Taco Bell Japan Facebook