Taco Bell Corp.’s sales rose 7% in its most recent quarter, leading the way for parent Yum Brands Inc.’s fast food chains and outpacing Yum, whose share price tumbled on the company’s China operations woes.
Yum doesn’t break out sales of its fast food divisions—Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut—but said Irvine-based Taco Bell’s earnings in the September quarter were $132 million, up 6% from the same period last year.
Taco Bell’s year-to-date earnings were $387 million—up 22% from the same nine months of last year.
The chain opened 62 new locations in the quarter—about 50 through franchisees—and had 6,314 restaurants at the end of its third quarter, up from 6,109 at the same time last year.
KFC sales grew 6%, and Pizza Hut sales were up 2% for the quarter, Yum said.
Yum’s Worldwide sales grew 6%.
