Taco Bell is owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., an American multinational fast food corporation. Yum! Brands was originally spun off from PepsiCo in 1997, which had acquired Taco Bell in 1978. Since then, Yum! Brands has operated Taco Bell along with other major fast food chains like KFC and Pizza Hut

. Yum! Brands is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and is one of the world's largest fast food restaurant companies, with most Taco Bell locations operated by independent franchisees