<p>
For years, Shift Lead Ana Linares donned a parka, scarf and hat when she closed her Taco Bell for the night. Although Fullerton, California, is warm year-round, the walk-in cooler, where she counts her end-of-day inventory, is always set to a cool 33-40 degrees Fahrenheit. </p>
<p>But in early 2024, Linares shed her winter gear and opted for a light jacket more commonly worn by her peers. The cooler was still set to less than 40 degrees, so her area coach, Carmen Solis, wondered what had changed. </p>
<p>“Was she doing Polar Bear plunges, did she eat ghost peppers, what?!” Solis said. “But then she told me that ever since we implemented Byte Inventory in her restaurant, it takes her half the time to take the same inventory, so she doesn’t have time to get cold.”</p>
<p>A year later, Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum! Brands, announced that it launched a <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/press-releases/introducing+byte+by+yum+an+ai+driven+restaurant+technology+platform+powering+customer+and+team+member+experiences+worldwide" >comprehensive
collection of proprietary Software as a Service (SaaS), AI-driven products
called Byte by Yum!™</a>. Stories like Linares’ are becoming the norm across Yum!’s brands as the Byte platform is quietly revolutionizing restaurant operations, making life easier for team members and delivering faster, smarter service to customers — while driving record digital sales across KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill.</p>
<p>Part of that platform includes Byte Inventory, which uses AI-driven forecasting to track inventory in real time – simplifying and streamlining operations for restaurant team members around the world. </p>
<p>“The time savings that we’ve experienced thanks to Byte by Yum! has been enormous,” Solis said. “Team members are happier because we’ve eliminated many tedious administrative tasks, freeing up their time to do other things – like, not be uncomfortably cold and having more face time with our customers.”</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/d6c063f1-0613-478a-b324-2d70a53e9984/1/byte+2.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" title="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>Currently, Byte Inventory is in approximately 80% of all Taco Bell U.S. locations, with plans to expand to Taco Bells across the United States and other restaurants within the Yum! family by 2026. Powered by Yum!’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform, Yum! Crave AI, the technology also alerts nearby restaurants of food shortages, so that those with a surplus can supply their neighboring locations, ensuring that each restaurant will have customers’ favorites on hand. </p>
<p>“Byte Inventory removes the headache of managing stock for the restaurant general managers – our Crave AI models recommend ordering before the restaurant is aware they are even running low,” said Byte by Yum! Head of Product Catherine Kromkowski. </p>
<p>Another product in the platform, Byte Coach, is the most pervasive, implemented across nearly 30,000 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. Byte Coach incorporates feedback from a variety of different data sources including sales forecasts and consumer reviews to tailor operations routines, streamlining restaurant operations and taking the guesswork out of running a restaurant for restaurant general managers and team members. These dynamic routines have translated to up to a 10% improvement in customer satisfaction in some markets.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/d6c063f1-0613-478a-b324-2d70a53e9984/2/byte+3.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" title="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>“Happier team members lead to happier guests,” said Kromkowski. “In Byte Coach, we’ve made it easier for restaurant teams to share and apply best practices from our top-performing restaurants across the system.”
</p>
<p>Byte Inventory and Byte Coach are just two products in the Byte by Yum! platform powering thousands of Yum!’s restaurants worldwide, each designed to take the guesswork out of running a restaurant. Because of its AI-powered automation and predictive insights, Byte by Yum! provides restaurants with increased order accuracy and product freshness, greater inventory forecast accuracy, higher team member satisfaction and the ability to deliver elevated, personalized guest experiences – all driving more profitable growth for franchisees.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/d6c063f1-0613-478a-b324-2d70a53e9984/3/byte+4.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" title="" style="margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>Behind these results is a talented team. Yum! has steadily recruited leading software engineers, data scientists and product managers in recent years, making Digital & Technology the company’s largest function. In early 2025, Yum! hired Jim Dausch as the Pizza Hut Global chief Digital & Technology officer, who brought with him decades of digital and business transformation experience. In September, Yum! CEO Chris Turner added Dausch to his leadership team, promoting him to Yum!’s chief Digital & Technology officer and president of Byte by Yum!. </p>
<p>Yum! also pursued acquisitions and opened RED Labs (stands for Relevant, Easy and Distinctive) in its Plano, Texas, campus to prototype and test restaurant automation and other innovation. In March 2025, Yum! announced a <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/press-releases/yum+brands+to+accelerate+ai+innovation+in+an+industry-first+collaboration+with+nvidia" >partnership
with NVIDIA</a> whose software helps power Yum!-built AI agents in the Byte by Yum! suite of products. </p>
<p>“We are the only restaurant company with an end-to-end platform like Byte by Yum! and the only quick-service restaurant business that NVIDIA has partnered with – ever,” said Dausch. “We’ve steadily been building our strategy, and now, it’s coming together. It’s really exciting to see.”</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/d6c063f1-0613-478a-b324-2d70a53e9984/4/byte+5.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" title="" style="width: 520px; height: 348px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" /></p>
<p>It’s coming together so well that in 2024, Yum! reported over $30 billion in digital sales, and 2025 is tracking to surpass that figure, recently exceeding $10 billion in digital system sales in the third quarter with a record digital mix of 60%. Currently, there are more than 25,000 restaurants with at least one Byte by Yum! product. With Byte by Yum! and the NVIDIA partnership, many franchisees have access to world-class technology capabilities with advantaged economics made possible by the scale of Yum!. </p>
<p>Byte by Yum! is powering the future of restaurants today, and for team members like Linares, that future looks exceedingly bright.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Louisville, Ky. December 10, 2025 – </strong>Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), in collaboration with its internal strategy agency Collider Lab, today released its first-ever trends report. The 2026 Food Trends Report: What’s Next in Dining uncovers the cultural and consumer shifts shaping how and what people will eat in 2026, offering insights on the evolving expectations of modern diners. With more than 62,000 restaurants worldwide, Yum! has an unmatched view into what’s happening across global food culture, making this an unprecedented inside industry look. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Drawing on research, behavioral insights, and learnings from Yum!’s four iconic global brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger & Grill – The 2026 Food Trends Report shows how consumers are increasingly using food to reclaim a sense of agency in a fast-changing world. People are turning to food not just for convenience, but for experiences that give a sense of control by reflecting individual tastes and moods through personalization and hands-on engagement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Our global footprint gives us unique visibility into the ever-changing ways people order and experience food,” said Ken Muench, Chief Marketing Officer, Yum! Brands, Inc. and Co-Founder of Collider Lab. “The 2026 Food Trends Report helps us see where culture is headed and gives our brands a clearer path to creating more moments of joyful, flavorful ownership for our customers.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Below is a snapshot of three trends highlighted in the report. To view the full report, click <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/company-stories-article/Yum+Brands+x+Collider+Lab+2026+Food+Trends+Report" >here</a>. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>The Me-Me-Me Economy</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Consumers are reshaping dining around personal expression and autonomy. Foods once meant for social gatherings are being redesigned for one, reflecting a shift toward food that matches individual identity and mood:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong>It’s About Me, Even When It’s “We”: </strong>There is a need for personalization and autonomy, even when dining with others. Personal-size pizzas are outperforming with Gen Z and Millennials, and 31% of custom orders are made within customer groups of two.<br />
• <strong>Solo Dining as Self-Care:</strong> Solo orders have grown by 52% since 2021 (making up 47% of QSR dining occasions, compared to 31% in 2021), with people opting out of group meals to instead treat themselves. 68% of solo diners choose not to take advantage of a deal and over half spend $10–$30+ during a visit, suggesting diners are willing to pay more when dining alone.<br />
• <strong>Satisfying a Craving:</strong> Validating that meals can reflect individual tastes rather than the group’s, research shows that 24% of solo diners are out to satisfy a craving. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Choice Therapy</strong> </p>
<p dir="ltr">In a world that can feel chaotic, consumers are gravitating toward small, sensory decisions that create moments of emotional grounding:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong> Build Your Own Power:</strong> Boxes and bundles are becoming symbols of control. Concepts that let consumers create their own meals consistently outperform convenience-led ideas. At Taco Bell, Build Your Own Taco offerings generated 72% positive sentiment.<br />
• <strong>Sauces as Emotional Excitement:</strong> Sauces can be a top tool for an emotional reset, with consumers saying that sauces are 2.4x more likely to bring excitement to the everyday compared to other food items. <br />
• <strong>Flavor Tweaks as Empowerment:</strong> Whether dipping, shaking, or fine-tuning spice levels, small rituals are giving consumers a sense of agency. At KFC, 71% of its top-performing menu item tests had specific sauces, reinforcing how influential customizable flavors have become.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Vibe-Mathing</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">As consumers navigate rising costs and endless choices, they are now approaching food through emotional value rather than just logic. Items that feel uplifting or aesthetically satisfying increasingly impact decisions as much as the price tag, reflecting a shift toward what feels good in the moment:</p>
<p dir="ltr">• <strong>Cool Counts:</strong> The #1 attribute driving momentum for quick-service restaurant brands is whether a brand “is very cool,” even outranking whether a restaurant has craveable food. <br />
• <strong>Everyday Little Luxuries:</strong> People are craving pick-me-ups throughout the week, with 68% of afternoon snack occasions (think fries or sweet treats) happening on weekdays. Consumers are looking for products that deliver a mood boost, with 1 in 4 young consumers (aged 18 – 29) seeing a trip to QSR as a special occasion.<br />
• <strong>Drinks for Dopamine:</strong> Modern beverages have emerged as low-stakes indulgences with high emotional return. Drinks are small but accessible joys, with 43% of specialty beverages purchased standalone without the customer buying any food.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Together, these three trends capture the shifting dynamics of choice, value and experience across the food landscape. The 2026 Food Trends Report puts Yum! Brands, Inc. at the forefront of this evolution. Through its global scale and Collider Lab’s cultural foresight, the company brings clarity to the forces shaping consumer behavior and the innovations that will guide dining's next chapter.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>About Yum! Brands</strong><br />
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 62,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the Company’s concepts – KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill. The Company's KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-inspired food and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. In 2024, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America, Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders and 3BL’s list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens. In 2025, the Company was recognized among TIME magazine’s list of Best Companies for Future Leaders. In addition, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut led Entrepreneur's Top Global Franchises 2024 list and were ranked in the first 25 of Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500, with Taco Bell securing the No. 1 spot in North America for the fifth consecutive year.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Members of the media are invited to contact:<br />
Lori Eberenz, Director, Public Relations, at 502/874-8200<br />
</p>
