Yum Brands was founded in 1997 when PepsiCo spun off its restaurant division, creating an independent company that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell under a single corporate umbrella.
The company operates more than 55,000 restaurants across 155 countries, serving tens of millions of customers daily through a predominantly franchise-based model that generates highly predictable royalty income.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Yum Brands trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker YUM today.
About Yum Brands
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Quick Service Restaurants |
| CEO | David Gibbs |
| Website | yum.com |
| Headquarters | Louisville, KY, USA |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Status | Public (NYSE: YUM) |
Yum Brands Founders
PepsiCo (Corporate Spinoff)
Parent company that created Yum Brands via spinoff in October 1997
Andrall Pearson
First Chairman & CEO of Tricon Global Restaurants (1997–2001), the original name of Yum Brands
Yum Brands History
-
1997
PepsiCo spins off its restaurant division as Tricon Global Restaurants, combining KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell into a single publicly traded company.
-
2002
Tricon Global Restaurants rebrands as Yum Brands and acquires Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants, briefly expanding its portfolio to five major chains.
-
2011
Yum Brands opens its 40,000th restaurant globally, with China becoming its single largest and fastest-growing market, surpassing US unit count.
-
2016
Yum Brands spins off its China business as an independent NYSE-listed company, Yum China, separating its highest-growth market into a standalone entity.
-
2021
Yum Brands surpasses 50,000 restaurants worldwide, with digital sales exceeding $22 billion as the company accelerates its technology and delivery investments across all three brands.
FAQs
-
Who owns Yum Brands?
Yum Brands is publicly traded on the NYSE. Vanguard Group and BlackRock are its largest institutional shareholders. No single entity holds a controlling stake. The company is widely held by index funds and institutional investors globally. -
Is Yum Brands an American company?
Yes. Yum Brands is an American fast food corporation headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. It was created in 1997 as a spinoff from PepsiCo and operates KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell worldwide. -
When did Yum Brands come out?
Yum Brands was created on October 7, 1997, when PepsiCo spun off its restaurant operations as Tricon Global Restaurants. The company renamed itself Yum Brands in May 2002 after acquiring additional restaurant chains. -
Who made the Yum Brands logo?
The Yum Brands logo and corporate identity were developed through external branding agencies following the 2002 rename from Tricon Global Restaurants. Each subsidiary brand — KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell — maintains its own distinct visual identity.