Yum! Brands

KFC Yum! Centre Logo

Yum! Brands, Inc., or Yum, are an American based corporation which licenses KFC, Pizza Hut and the Taco Bell restaurants. Before 2011, they also owned the Long John Silver's franchise. The company is based in Louisville, Kentucky. It started on October 7, 1997 as the Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., which in turn was an independent company and spinoff of PepsiCo. Because of its previous relationship with PepsiCo, this company has a lifetime contract to Pepsi.

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History

The origins of Yum! Brands date back to 1997 when PepsiCo, the parent company of fast-food chains KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, decided to spin off its restaurant division. The newly formed company was named Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. and was headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

In 2002, Tricon Global Restaurants changed its name to Yum! Brands, Inc. to reflect its diverse portfolio of brands, which by then included A&W Restaurants, Long John Silver's, and a few others. Today, Yum! Brands operates over 50,000 restaurants in more than 150 countries, making it one of the largest restaurant companies in the world.

Brands

Yum! Brands operates several well-known fast-food restaurant chains, including:

KFC

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a fast-food chain that specializes in fried chicken. It was founded in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Harland Sanders, who developed the recipe for his "Original Recipe" fried chicken. Today, KFC operates more than 24,000 restaurants in over 145 countries.

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut is a fast-food chain that specializes in pizza. It was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney. Today, Pizza Hut operates more than 18,000 restaurants in over 100 countries.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell is a fast-food chain that specializes in Mexican-style food, such as tacos and burritos. It was founded in 1962 in Downey, California, by Glen Bell. Today, Taco Bell operates more than 7,000 restaurants in over 30 countries.

Corporate responsibility

Yum! Brands has a strong commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability. The company has established several initiatives and partnerships to address issues such as food waste, animal welfare, and human rights.

One of Yum! Brands' key initiatives is its "Feed the World" program, which aims to address global hunger and food insecurity. The program includes partnerships with several organizations, such as the United Nations World Food Programme and Food Donation Connection, to donate food and support food banks and other hunger-relief organizations.

The company is also committed to animal welfare and has established a set of animal welfare policies and guidelines that apply to all of its brands. Yum! Brands has partnered with organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to promote animal welfare.

Controversies

Like many large corporations, Yum! Brands has faced several controversies over the years. In 2012, it was revealed that some of the company's suppliers in China had been using excessive levels of antibiotics in their chicken products, leading to concerns about food safety.

In 2013, an investigation by the Associated Press found that some of the workers in Yum! Brands' chicken suppliers in Thailand were subjected to forced labor and other abuses.

Yum! Brands has also faced criticism from animal rights groups over its treatment of animals in its supply chain, particularly in relation to the treatment of chickens and pigs.