Franchise opportunities compared
Taco Bell Corp. vs Taco Cabana
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Taco Bell Corp. figures come from its 2026 FDD and Taco Cabana figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
- Taco Bell Corp. and Taco Cabana disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Taco Cabana has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Taco Bell Corp. |  Taco Cabana |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $152,250 – $1,800,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $1,266,500 – $1,334,500 2025 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 5% Weekly royalty on Gross Sales 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee | 3% National Brand Fund weekly Gross Sales contribution — 3% 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 484 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58 | 146 Outlets at end of 2024 2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 53 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +5 Calculated: 479 at end of 2023 → 484 at end of 2025 | −3 Calculated: 149 at end of 2022 → 146 at end of 2024 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 1964 From a verified franchisor listing | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top 50% company restaurants $1,829,182 other Top 50% Gross Sales · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top 25% company restaurants $2,071,533 other Top 25% Gross Sales · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top 75% company restaurants $1,658,419 other Top 75% Gross Sales · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52 +3 more groups in the full report |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Taco Bell Corp. vs Taco Cabana: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Taco Bell Corp. or Taco Cabana?
- Taco Bell Corp.: $152,250 – $1,800,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Taco Cabana: $1,266,500 – $1,334,500 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Taco Bell Corp.. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Taco Bell Corp. or Taco Cabana?
- Taco Bell Corp.: 484 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 58); Taco Cabana: 146 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 53). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Taco Bell Corp. and Taco Cabana disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Taco Bell Corp. makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Taco Cabana has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.