Welcome to our dedicated page for Yum! Brands news (Ticker: YUM), a resource for investors and traders seeking the latest updates and insights on Yum! Brands stock.
Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is the world's largest restaurant company, boasting a portfolio that includes renowned brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill. With over 39,000 restaurants in more than 130 countries and territories, Yum! Brands serves millions of customers globally and employs over 1 million associates.
Founded as a division of PepsiCo and formerly known as Tricon, Yum! Brands generates significant revenue primarily through franchise royalties and marketing contributions. This business model has proved successful, with the company achieving $64 billion in systemwide sales in 2023. Yum! Brands is 98% franchised, with Yum China, its largest franchisee, spun out in 2016. Despite this separation, Yum China continues to pay 3% royalties to Yum! Brands.
Yum! Brands is an industry leader in the fast-food sector, with KFC specializing in chicken, Pizza Hut in pizza, Taco Bell in Mexican-style food, and The Habit Burger Grill in burgers. The company is second in global sales, trailing only McDonald's but surpassing Restaurant Brands International and Starbucks. As of year-end 2023, KFC operated 29,900 units, Pizza Hut 19,866 units, Taco Bell 8,564 units, and The Habit Burger Grill 381 units.
Known for its unique corporate culture, Yum! Brands emphasizes fun, recognition, and career development. The company invests heavily in its workforce to maximize their career potential, creating a diverse and inclusive environment where employees can thrive both personally and professionally.
Yum! Brands is also at the forefront of technological innovation in the fast-food industry. Led by Joe Park, the Chief Digital and Technology Officer, the company is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform its operations across all brands. By 2024, about 45% of Yum!'s sales were digital, highlighting a significant shift from traditional sales channels.
On the product front, Yum! Brands continuously innovates to meet consumer demands. For example, Pizza Hut recently introduced the Cheeseburger Melt, a unique fusion of pizza and burger elements, while KFC launched new Saucy Nuggets flavors for a limited time. Taco Bell, through its Live Más Scholarship program, is also investing in the future success of young people by awarding $10 million in scholarships in 2024.
Yum! Brands is not just about food; it's about community engagement and social responsibility. The company is involved in numerous initiatives, such as KFC’s Add Hope program in South Africa, which supports children's education and well-being.
Overall, Yum! Brands, Inc. stands out for its extensive global reach, innovative approach to technology and food, and commitment to a positive workplace culture and community impact.
Hidden Valley Ranch has announced the launch of its new Easy Squeeze bottle, featuring improved flow control and an inverted design. To celebrate, the company is partnering with Pizza Hut and football legend Eli Manning to create a unique collectible: a Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza autographed by Manning using the new ranch bottle and preserved in resin.
The promotion includes a sweepstakes running from January 15 to February 9, 2025. The grand prize winner will receive the authenticated collectible pizza, plus a year's supply of both Hidden Valley Ranch and Pizza Hut pizza. Ten runners-up will receive a year's supply of ranch and one Pizza Hut pizza.
The new bottle design will be available nationwide in 16oz and 24oz sizes starting March 2025, featuring an improved flow control cap and inverted easy-squeeze design to minimize waste and improve control.
Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) has announced that Scott Mezvinsky, 49, will become KFC Division Chief Executive Officer effective March 1, 2025, succeeding Sabir Sami. Mezvinsky, currently President of Taco Bell North America and International, brings 20 years of company experience to the role.
In his previous positions, Mezvinsky served as Taco Bell's Global Chief Strategy & Financial Officer and helped the company pursue its $20 billion brand goal. His tenure includes successful leadership as GM of KFC Iberia, where he achieved record same-store sales growth and operational metrics in 2018-2019.
Sabir Sami, who has been KFC CEO since January 2022, will step down at the end of February 2025. He will remain in his position until then to ensure a smooth transition.
Pizza Hut has released its second annual Pizza Trends Report, revealing fascinating insights about America's pizza consumption habits and 2025 industry forecasts. The report shows Americans collectively consume about 95 billion pizza slices annually, equivalent to 240,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Key findings include:
- 32% of people predict increased pizza consumption in 2025
- Kansas leads nationwide consumption with 9.4 slices per month
- 46% prefer boneless wings over bone-in (43%)
- 59% consider pizza and wings the ultimate pairing
- Ranch is the most popular dipping sauce (38%)
The report also settles debates showing that most people eat pizza 'tip first' rather than folded, and 44% consider eating pizza with a fork a 'food crime.' Regarding trends, thin crust remains most popular (29%), followed by stuffed crust (24%). There's growing interest in global flavors, with 37% wanting to try Mexican-inspired pizza and 21% interested in Greek-inspired options. Pizza Hut is currently offering a Stuffed Crust Pizza & Wings Bundle for $19.99 through April 7, 2025.
KFC has launched a new lineup of five flavor-packed bowls priced at $5 each, featuring the return of their popular Nashville Hot Sauce. The lineup includes the NEW Nashville Hot Loaded Fries Bowl, Nashville Hot Mac & Cheese Bowl, Nashville Hot Famous Bowl, Mac & Cheese Bowl, and Famous Bowl.
Each bowl comes with five Original Recipe® Nuggets and various combinations of ingredients like mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, three-cheese blend, and coleslaw. Additionally, KFC is introducing two digital-exclusive menu items: the Korean BBQ Mac & Cheese Bowl and Korean BBQ Loaded Fries Bowl, also priced at $5.
The company is also planning a special promotion for Quitter's Day (Jan. 10) through their rewards program, offering an exclusive deal for KFC Rewards members.
Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) has announced it will host a Taco Bell Consumer Day at the Hollywood Palladium on January 28th, 2025, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET. While the event won't be livestreamed, a recording will be available on the company's investor website.
The company operates over 60,000 restaurants across more than 155 countries through its brands KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill. These brands are global leaders in their respective categories - chicken, Mexican-style food, and pizza, with Habit Burger specializing in chargrilled burgers.
Yum! has received notable recognition in 2024, being included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America for the eighth consecutive year, and appearing on TIME Magazine's Best Companies for Future Leaders and Newsweek's Most Responsible Companies lists. The company's brands KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut ranked in the top five of Entrepreneur's Top Global Franchises Ranking for 2023.
Yum! Brands participated in the United States' first city-wide reusable cup program in Petaluma, California, through its Habit Burger & Grill, KFC, and Taco Bell locations. The 12-week trial, called The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, ran from August to October and was led by the NextGen Consortium. The program replaced single-use cups with free, reusable purple cups across participating restaurants, installing over 60 return bins throughout the city. Customers returned more than 220,000 cups during the trial period, demonstrating strong community engagement. The cups featured minimal branding and QR codes linking to return bin locations. The initiative was made possible through public-private collaboration, with full findings expected in early 2025.
KFC unveils its 2024 holiday campaign featuring a new colorful bucket design by Yeye Weller and a streetwear-inspired merchandise collection. The chain introduces two holiday meal deals: the Festive Feast at $25.99, including six pieces of chicken, six Original Recipe Tenders, three sauces, and two large sides; and the larger Chicken & Tenders Feast with eight pieces each of chicken and tenders, four sauces, three large sides, and four biscuits. The company also launches digital gift cards and a new rewards program for digital orders.
Pizza Hut has unveiled an innovative restaurant design concept in Plano, Texas, featuring digital and technology innovations including self-service kiosks, pick-up cabinets, and the first Hut 'N Go drive-thru menu in the U.S. The new location incorporates sustainability features such as energy-efficient lighting, auto lift fryers, and an Energy Management System. Already operational in over 80 markets globally with nearly 2,000 locations, this format has shown increased transactions and in-restaurant traffic compared to previous designs. The restaurant includes an open kitchen concept and replaces a 25-year-old Pizza Hut location at 8605 Ohio Dr.
Yum! Brands has been recognized as the #1 company in the Consumer Services industry on 3BL's 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2024 ranking. The achievement reflects the sustainability efforts of their restaurant brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill, particularly in their People, Food, and Planet initiatives.
Yum! Brands executive James Fripp, Chief Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer, has been named the first recipient of the Ted Balestreri Leadership Accelerator Award. The recognition was presented at the 2024 Prosper Forum on August 26th in Amelia Island, FL, acknowledging Fripp's exceptional leadership and contributions to advancing equity and inclusion in the industry.
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