Taco Bell poised for return to UK

Taco Bell, the Tricon-run Mexican fast-food chain, is expected to return to the UK if a test running in Australia proves successful.

The US fast-food giant is gearing up for global expansion of the brand, which was phased out in a number of markets, including the UK, after failing to reach critical mass.

Graham Allen, managing director of Tricon-owned KFC UK, says: “There is a test running in Australia to demonstrate the international viability of the brand. The UK is a candidate for a relaunch of Taco Bell because it is seen as a comparable market.”

The chain first launched in the UK in 1986 but was withdrawn in the early Nineties following a number of unsuccessful relaunches.

Tricon, whose stable of brands includes Pizza Hut as well as KFC, has aggressively expanded its portfolio after it split from PepsiCo last year. It runs Pizza Hut as a joint venture with Whitbread in the UK.

Tricon runs more than 29,700 restaurants, making it the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world by outlets.

Taco Bell controls more than 70 per cent of the Mexican fast-food market in the States and has more than 6,900 outlets.