Taco Bell Will Open 50 New Stores Across Australia in the Next Three Years
With new stores expected to open before the end of the year.
Late last year, Taco Bell quietly opened a test store in Annerley, Brisbane. And today — fittingly, International Taco Day — the US Tex-Mex chain has announced plans to open 50 new stores across Australia in the next three years.
While its expansion will begin in Queensland — with stores already confirmed for Robina, Cleveland and North Lakes — the chain has confirmed that it will also be expanding interstate.
Taco Bell, whose parent company is Collins Foods — which also operates 28 Aussie KFC restaurants and the 13 remaining Sizzler venues — announced today that after receiving positive feedback from its test store, it would be rolling out 50 new Taco Bell outposts over the next three years.
Managing Director Taco Bell Asia Pacific Ankush Tuli suggested locals have embraced the brand. "We have had an overwhelming response to the launch of Taco Bell in Brisbane," Tuli explained.
This is, however, Taco Bell's third attempted foray into the Australian market. The chain tried to launch here in 1981 (and was then taken to court by Sydney store Taco Bell's Casa) and again in 1997 — but both attempts were unsuccessful and the brand withdrew.
It was speculated earlier this year that as part of the brand's expansion, Collins Foods would be rebranding its Sizzler restaurants as Taco Bells; however, this has not yet been confirmed.
You can currently find Taco Bell at 594 Ipswich Road, Annerley, with the Robina store slated to open this year.