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Economic pressures created a challenging backdrop for the QSR space in 2025. Many consumers adjusted their dining-out habits, leading to uneven foot traffic across the category. Within this environment, AI-powered location intelligence suggests that Yum! Brands – the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger & Grill – has been comparatively well positioned. We dove into the data for a closer look at how Yum! and its portfolio performed in 2025 and the most recent Q4.
Yum! Brands in the Driver’s Seat
Although limited-service restaurants faced headwinds in 2025, Yum! Brands appeared to stay ahead of the pack. As a whole, the company's portfolio – QSRs plus the smaller Habit Burger & Grill – posted year-over-year (YoY) foot traffic growth in every quarter, outperforming the broader QSR category, which recorded YoY visit declines during much of the year.
Beyond value and compelling menu innovation, convenience and ease of experience remain central to why consumers choose limited-service chains. To reinforce its advantage, Yum! has spent the past year expanding its suite of AI-driven technology tools across its brands – platforms designed to optimize restaurant operations, delivery, and digital ordering. The company has even pointed to its proprietary software as an enabler of daily menu drops and viral promotions, reinforcing the other two critical motivations for limited-service diners: craveability and value. As these tools roll out to more locations, the data suggests Yum!’s competitive edge could continue.
How Are Yum!’s Brands Performing?
An analysis of foot traffic across Yum! Brands’ portfolio highlights which concepts are driving the company’s visit gains. Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill recorded YoY monthly overall visit and same-store visit growth in most of Q4 2025 – indicating that underlying demand remains intact despite heightened volatility in the current economic environment.
Of the four brands, however, Taco Bell remains Yum!’s primary driver of growth. The brand delivered the largest and most consistent YoY monthly overall visit and same-store visit growth throughout Q4 2025 – with National Taco Day promotions and the return of Cheesy Dipping Burritos likely contributing to elevated traffic.
Meanwhile, KFC experienced month-to-month visit gaps throughout Q4 2025 while mustering nearly flat same-store visits. This could suggest that while the brand has consolidated its footprint, existing locations see sufficient demand to support a broader turnaround strategy.
Yum! What’s Next?
Even as economic pressures continue to reshape how consumers engage with limited-service dining, Yum! Brands appears well positioned to navigate ongoing uncertainty. A combination of operational investment and consumer-facing innovation suggests the company’s portfolio has built a durable foundation to support evolving market conditions.
Want more restaurant industry insights? Visit Placer.ai/anchor.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
