Taco Bell’s troubles right now to overcome concerns about the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora are overshadowing what remains one of the biggest growth opportunities in all of fast food. 

That opportunity is for Taco Bell’s owner, Yum! Brands (YUM), to more aggressively expand the popular Mexican-inspired fast food chain internationally after years of focusing mostly on opening new locations in the US. How well the company executes on Taco Bell’s global rollout over time will be one of the stock’s key drivers now that it has sold the lagging Pizza Hut division.

Taco Bell has north of 8,700 restaurants worldwide but only 1,100 overseas locations — up from about 500 in 2019. Its biggest markets are the UK, Spain, and India. 

“We have our franchise partners in those countries who are doing an amazing job bringing the brand to life,” Yum! Brands CEO Chris Turner told Yahoo Finance in a recent podcast (see video above or listen below). “And then we continue to add new markets that we will grow over time. But it’s the kind of thing where someday there should be thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of Taco Bells around the globe.”

Turner added, “Those food trends toward Mexican-inspired cuisine [internationally], they’re just a few years behind where they are in the US, but they are there. When we look at the growth rates of Mexican cuisine outside the US, you’re seeing those growth rates really pick up. So there’s a consumer tailwind behind it. And of course, the brand is such a beloved brand.”

In the near term, Yum! Brands has articulated to investors a goal to have 3,000 Taco Bells open internationally by the end of 2030. JPMorgan analysts think the next key markets for the brand are Germany and Poland.

The global growth in Taco Bell supports Yum! Brands’ move to lean on franchisees to open more locations quickly. 

Taco Bell’s international sales gained 11% in 2025, surpassing the chain’s 6% growth in the US. The international growth rate for Taco Bell accelerated to 16% in the first quarter of this year.

“We remain focused on the durability of the key KFC international and fast growing Taco Bell businesses (>85% of YUM’s operating income) and model combined store count in these divisions to be up at a ~6% compound annual growth rate,” JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe wrote in a note.

That said, in the short term, Yum! Brands’ stock is likely to take its cue from concerns that customers will reduce visits to Taco Bell amid a parasite outbreak spreading throughout the country.