{
  "id": 18017025,
  "title": "Taco Bell says it has a ‘magic formula’ for bringing customers back. Here’s what it is",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/taco-bell-says-it-has-a-magic-formula-for-bringing-customers-back",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-03T19:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91635003/taco-bell-says-it-has-a-magic-formula-for-bringing-customers-back-heres-what-it-is"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yum! Brands, the parent company that owns Taco Bell alongside KFC and The Habit Burger Grill, announced strong third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, surpassing analyst projections. The growth at Taco Bell, a key driver for the company, was impacted by a cyclospora outbreak caused by contaminated shredded lettuce, which led to a 4% decrease in same-store sales in the United States for that quarter. However, the company's CFO, Ranjith Roy, revealed optimism during the earnings call, stating that same-store sales have risen by approximately 1% in the fourth quarter and a 3% increase over the past four weeks compared to the same period last year. Yum! Brands credited the rapid recovery to a \"magic formula\" that encompassed weekly deals for loyalty members and limited-time offers. In a statement, Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner emphasized that Taco Bell has been outperforming the quick-service restaurant industry in same-store sales growth since the end of September. Turner reaffirmed the company's confidence in delivering consistent earnings growth and generating long-term value for shareholders. Yum! Brands' shares experienced a slight decline of .2% at the time of reporting on Wednesday. For the quarter ending September 30, 2026, Yum! Brands reported a 3.8% increase in revenue, totaling $2.05 billion, with earnings per share (EPS) at $1.56 adjusted, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.47. The company's net income improved to $1.62 billion, up from $397 million at the same time last year. Yum! Brands' divestment from Pizza Hut, acquired by LongRange Capital and Yum China Holdings, Inc., was fully completed.",
  "summary": "Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell —as well as KFC, and The Habit Burger Grill— reported third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, beating analyst expectations, in part, from KFC’s global expansion and higher revenue from its franchises. However, an outbreak of cyclospora linked to tainted shredded lettuce at Taco Bell, what the company considers its “ growth engine ,” affected the company’s…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Restaurant Dive",
        "title": "Taco Bell’s winning streak ends, KFC’s turnaround continues",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/taco-bells-winning-streak-ends-kfcs-turnaround-continues",
        "published": "2026-11-03T14:22:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}