Yum! Brands Q1 results for 2026
In the first quarter of 2026, Yum! Brands showed steady growth compared to the same period last year.
Chris Turner, CEO, of Yum! Brands said "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."
KFC’s Q1 results for 2026
The total number of KFC restaurants grew to 34,332, a 7% increase. Overall system sales reached $9.3 billion, up 12% (or 6% when excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange). While same-store sales growth remained steady at 2%, the company saw double-digit gains in other areas: franchise and property revenues rose 13% to $461 million, and operating profit jumped 16% to reach $383 million. Additionally, the operating margin improved slightly, rising from 42.9% last year to 43.6% this year.
Taco Bell’s Q1 results for 2026
For Taco Bell, for its first quarter of 2026, expanded its footprint to 9,021 restaurants, a 3% increase over the previous year. Total system sales rose 10% to $4.39 billion, a growth rate that remained consistent even when accounting for foreign currency exchange.
Although same-store sales growth slowed slightly from 9% to 8%, franchise and property revenues increased by 7% to reach $251 million. Operating profit saw a significant gain of 16%, climbing to $281 million. However, the operating margin declined by 1.5 percentage points, falling from 36.7% in 2025 to 35.2% in 2026.
Pizza Hut’s Q1 Q1 results for 2026
The Pizza Hut division grew to 19,944 restaurants, a 1% increase over 2025, which included opening 346 gross new restaurants across 27 countries. Total system sales reached $3.11 billion, representing a 3% increase as reported, though sales remained even when excluding foreign currency exchange. Same-store sales growth was even, an improvement from the 2% decline seen the previous year.
Franchise and property revenues fell to $142 million, a 1% decrease (or 3% excluding foreign currency). Operating profit dropped 14% to $64 million—a 16% decline excluding foreign currency—despite a $2 million favourable impact from currency translation. Consequently, the operating margin fell by 6.9 percentage points (or 7.2 excluding foreign currency), moving from 32.3% down to 25.4%.
