Irvine-based Taco Bell reported a 2% decrease to $4.3 billion in third-quarter system sales and a 4% drop in same-store sales, reflecting the impact of July’s foodborne illness outbreak.
Taco Bell has not reported a decline in quarterly sales since 2020, according to reports.
“From a low point in July, Taco Bell U.S. same-store sales strengthened week after week, and since the end of September, the brand has been outperforming the QSR industry on same-store sales growth,” Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner told analysts during the Q3 earnings call.
Turner said the fast-food chain gave consumers “more reasons to engage” during the third quarter through menu collaborations, such as the Baja Blast drink from Olid through Q4. He added that rewards members, or “loyalty users,” still returned to Taco Bell following the initial sales decline, driving “the first phase of the recovery.”
Yum Chief Financial Officer Ranjith Roy said Taco Bell’s same-store sales were already up “approximately 1%” quarter-to-date.
