Yum Brands announced strong Q1 earnings and revenue on Wednesday, thanks to another successful quarter for Taco Bell, which experienced an 8% sales boost.
Yum reported first-quarter net income of $432 million, or $1.55 per share, up from $253 million, or 90 cents per share, a year earlier.
According to Yum, the Q1 highlights included:
• Worldwide system sales grew 6%, excluding foreign currency translation.
• Unit count increased 5% including 1,030 gross new units in the quarter.
• GAAP Operating Profit grew 17% and Core Operating Profit grew 6%.
• Digital system sales approached $11 billion, with record digital mix of 63%.
• Foreign currency translation favorably impacted divisional operating profit by $25 million.
• Excluding Pizza Hut, system sales grew 7% excluding foreign currency translation, unit count grew 6% and Core Operating Profit grew 10%.
Chris Turner, CEO, told investors, “We delivered solid topline momentum to start the year, with our fundamentals as strong as ever. Taco Bell delivered an outstanding 8% same-store sales growth, meaningfully ahead of the QSR industry, building off a very strong Q1 same-store sales growth rate in 2025. KFC delivered impressive unit growth and resilient same-store growth, with many KFC markets growing system sales double-digits. Yum! is incredibly well positioned to sustain sales momentum thanks to strong global consumer appeal for our brands, long-term consumption tailwinds, and our tech and AI capabilities.”
Speaking to reporters following the release, Turner spoke about KFC’s future, “We think there can be 75,000 KFCs around the globe… So we’re really less than halfway on the journey to where we think we can be in KFC. That’s why we continue to open so many new restaurants each year and why our franchise partners continue to invest in the brand.”
KFC U.S. system sales fell 2% during the first quarter.
KFC is the biggest brand in the Yum! Brands lineup, with over 34,000 locations worldwide.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
