<p>Habit Burger & Grill started in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969. It’s since grown to almost 400 restaurants across the United States but has remained true to its Californian roots through its laidback atmosphere and made-to-order fare, featuring burgers chargrilled over an open flame, just like food was prepared at the original Habit nearly 60 years ago.</p>
<p>In 2025, the brand added another California connection by <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/company-stories-article/Habit+Burger+Grill+brings+madetoorder+quality+to+Dodger+Stadium+at+game+day+speed" >teaming up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a sponsorship deal</a> that included a Habit location in the stadium’s Centerfield Plaza and led to the opening of Dodgers x Habit Home Base, a Dodgers-themed restaurant located nearby in Echo Park. The latter includes a mural complete with a bobble head ball player holding a Charburger, painted by Los Angeles native Alex “Ali” Gonzalez. </p>
<p>“Ali’s work stops people in their tracks,” said Jack Lettenmair, Habit director of Brand & Product Marketing. “People don’t just walk past one of his murals. They stop, take a photo and send it to someone. His work is rooted in L.A., but it travels far beyond the walls of the city.”</p>
<p>True to form, Gonzalez’s Habit mural already has amassed hundreds of thousands of virtual shares, including by some notable Angelenos including two starting Dodgers pitchers, who appear in two of his murals in Pawradise Park and Burbank. The players’ images are so lifelike, they appear as photographs, a nod to Gonzalez’s skill and “grayscale realism” style.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/9e778d14-9994-466f-b999-abfad023c169/1/1774555998899+1+%281%29.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" width="520" title="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<p>“I’m mostly self-taught,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve always been attracted to drawing and painting, and over the years I just kept practicing, experimenting and figuring things out through doing the work. A lot of my learning came from actually taking on projects that were bigger and more challenging than what I had done before.”</p>
<p>One such project is a mural featuring a U.S. President at Gonzalez’s former high school in Granada Hills. It was his first mural and gave him the confidence to pick up additional work, including a role as a production assistant on a prolific reality competition show during its first season. Five seasons in, he pitched an idea for original artwork on the show, which executives greenlit, leading to independent commissions from multiple judges from that same show.</p>
<p>“Ali is this homegrown talent who’s a celebrity in his own right,” Lettenmair said. “A lot of artists come to L.A. hoping to make it. Ali’s from here. He built his following doing what he loves, and you can see that love and connection to the city in his work.”</p>
<p>To date, Gonzalez has drawn murals for renowned U.S. and international brands and has featured basketball greats in his work. For Habit, he wanted the design to “feel like L.A. and authentic to the Dodgers, but I also didn’t want it to just look like a giant Dodgers advertisement.” With a cityscape towering over a sign welcoming guests to Dodgers x Habit Home Base, and some nods to Dodgers iconography, the mural achieves his vision.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/9e778d14-9994-466f-b999-abfad023c169/2/1774555992434+1+%281%29.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" width="520" title="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<p>The art also evokes the feel of Echo Park. Known for its popularity with artists, musicians and young professionals, the area combines an edgy, urban cityscape with trendy coffee shops, vintage boutiques and late-night taco trucks.</p>
<p>“I wanted the mural to make sense where it was actually going to live,” Gonzalez said. “You’re not just designing something for a blank canvas. You’re designing something that people are going to see as part of their neighborhood. The L.A. cityscape and Dodgers…connection felt very natural for that location.”</p>
<p>Front and center of the art is Gonzalez’s go-to Habit order – a Double Charburger with Cheese – which is held by the team mascot, a Dodgers Bobblehead. Missing from the mural is a side of Green Bean Tempura Fries, which Gonzalez also swears by and admits that many were consumed while working on the mural.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWaDWPzAbVY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding: 16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWaDWPzAbVY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" rel="noopener">
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWaDWPzAbVY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener">A post shared by Habit (@habitburgerandgrill)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
</p>
<p>Responses to the Habit mural have been overwhelmingly positive, Gonzalez said.</p>
<p>“The best reactions are when people stop while you’re working and immediately recognize the Dodgers and Habit connection,” he said. “It’s a very unique, one-of-a-kind restaurant location and mural.”</p>
<p>As for what’s next for the artist, he’s up for another collaboration.</p>
<p>“I’d love to keep doing projects that bring together art, sports, music and LA culture. There are so many possibilities,” he said. “A major project with the Dodgers or another iconic L.A. brand would definitely be a dream. Maybe a custom mural for a baseball legend would be the Grand Slam of a project.”</p>
<p> And with a Double Charburger with Cheese and Green Bean Tempura Fries as part of the process, Habit may just be the fuel behind his next larger-than-life tribute to L.A. culture.</p>
<p>Siena Laws, Krystal Salmeron and Jenna Barada have never met, and their dream jobs vary from <a href="https://tacobellfoundation.org/live-mas-scholarship/" >firefighter</a> to <a href="https://kfcfoundation.org/6977/" >accountant</a> to <a href="https://www.habitburger.com/fueling-the-next-generation-at-prostart-competitions/" >chef</a>. But each of their futures is funded by one of Yum! and its brands’ many scholarship initiatives.</p>
<p>Since its founding in 1997, parent company, Yum!, and its brands, KFC, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill, have donated millions of dollars to the educational endeavors of their fans and restaurant team members. It’s part of Yum!’s broader Food & Futures strategy, which aims to create greater access to jobs and career growth, strengthening communities and expanding possibilities around the world, in addition to expanding access to meals for people who need them most.</p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1084475176?h=c7e1984313" frameborder="0" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Siena Laws received a $25,000 Live Mas Scholarship from the Taco Bell Foundation in 2025; she plans to work in first response as a firefighter or use her nursing degree to work in an intensive care unit or as a flight nurse. That same year, the foundation gave over $14 million in scholarships to individuals like Laws, <a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/news/company-stories-article/How+KFC+US+Taco+Bell+US+and+The+Habit+Burger+Grill+turned+spare+change+into+more+than+30+million+for+charity" >mostly funded by Taco Bell’s round-up program</a> in which fans choose to round up their check to the nearest dollar. The scholarship remains one of the few that requires no academic test scores or grade point averages to apply, fueling the doers, dreamers and cultural rebels who know how to Live Más.</p>
<p>“The Live Más Scholarship is designed to recognize young people for who they are and what they’re passionate about — not just what shows up on a transcript,” said Morgan Tabor, executive director of the Taco Bell Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of Taco Bell fans, we’re able to help remove financial barriers and support the next generation of creators, leaders and changemakers as they pursue the futures they imagine for themselves.”</p>
<p>Krystal Salmeron, a KFC shift supervisor in Moses Lake, Washington, and the aforementioned accounting student, aims to be the first person in her family to earn a college degree. She attends Gonzaga University as a dual degree student, completing both her high school education and associate’s degree at the same time, while still graduating with her bachelor's degree in four years.</p>
<p>“KFC restaurant employees work incredibly hard, both in their restaurants and toward the goals they have for their futures,” said Emma Horn, executive director of the KFC Foundation. “We’re so proud to invest in students like Krystal and help make the path to a college degree a little easier.” </p>
<p>The KFC Foundation awarded $2 million in scholarships to over 330 restaurant employees across the United States this year, and 11 of those students (11 being a nod to the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices) were awarded $20,000 each for their resilience, determination and drive to build a better future. This is on top of the over $4 million the brand gave in educational funding in 2025.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/043c2955-fd51-4060-94eb-9ebbc9d2cac7/1/boo_9872-edit-92-_update2.jpg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" width="620" title="" /></p>
<p>Last year, the aspiring chef Jenna Barada competed in ProStart, a culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. Not only did she take home a medal, but she got to spend a day inside Habit Chef Jason Triail’s Innovation Kitchen and received $4,000 to put toward her continuing culinary education.</p>
<p>“We are profoundly honored to support scholarships that empower our youth. By fostering the talent, passion and potential of these young individuals, we are investing in their educations to help build a stronger, more vibrant community tomorrow, and we couldn't be prouder to stand behind them,” said Stacy Hua, Habit Social Purpose team chair. </p>
<p>Habit supports educational scholarships through both industry partnerships and local community fundraising. As a state sponsor of ProStart in California and Arizona, Habit helps open scholarship opportunities for top-performing student teams through the program’s competitions. At the local level, individual Habit restaurants partner with school districts, PTAs and universities to host scholarship fundraising nights, donating 20% of net sales from those events directly to school scholarship funds. </p>
<p>“It’s inspiring to see the commitment that our global brands and markets have to making education accessible and affordable for the next generation of leaders,” said Kat Abner, Yum! Community Impact Center of Excellence head, citing many examples.</p>
<p>KFC Costa Rica gave over $6,500 in 2025, and one of its scholarship recipients now manages a restaurant. KFC Trinidad & Tobago provides $5,000 in bursary support to two students at The University of the West Indies each year. Past recipients have pursued degrees in food innovation, agriculture, finance, business and restaurant entrepreneurship. While this aid pays for housing, tuition and books, KFC T&T also donates food through its Harvest program for students who cannot afford regular meals.</p>
<p>“At its core, our approach is about creating access and reducing some of the barriers that can make completing a university education more difficult,” said KFC T&T Brand and Harvest Lead Trisha Baksh. “We also see value in supporting areas of study that can contribute to Trinidad & Tobago's future talent pipeline, including food, agriculture, business and entrepreneurship.”</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/043c2955-fd51-4060-94eb-9ebbc9d2cac7/2/makabongwe.png?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" width="420" title="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<p>KFC Thailand has provided over 300 high school juniors and seniors with free academic courses, mentorship and free college tuition through its Youth Academy program. And in South Africa, KFC’s Ikusasa Lethu (or “Our Future”) Scholarship Programme funds tuition for qualifying children of employees at Curro schools across all nine provinces, removing financial barriers to quality education while also providing mentorship and specialized tutoring support. Each year, around 25 students benefit from the program, and to date, 12 graduates have completed matric and progressed to tertiary studies, with 51 total years of education made possible through the initiative and a 90% pass rate.</p>
<p>The list goes on, Abner said, including one initiative in Yum!’s home in Louisville, Kentucky.</p>
<p><img src="/wps/wcm/connect/yumbrands/043c2955-fd51-4060-94eb-9ebbc9d2cac7/3/Scholars%2Bgroup%2B2025_Crop+%281%29.jpeg?MOD=AJPERES" alt="" title="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p>
<p>At the University of Louisville, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence has the only undergraduate certificate program in franchise management in the U.S. This is a stackable credential within any degree program. This year, a PhD focused on franchising was added, and in 2025, the company gave $1 million to fund the education of its Yum! Scholars, 20 undergraduate students whose franchising education is supported through the program. </p>
<p>“As Yum! is 98% franchised, the company is heavily invested in funding this form of entrepreneurship,” said Kathleen Gosser, who has a doctorate in Educational Leadership & Organizational Development and is the center director and associate professor at the UofL College of Business. </p>
<p>The Yum! Scholars, like thousands of others across the globe, are feeding their futures with Yum! and its brands’ sponsored scholarships. Whether supporting a future first-generation college graduate, a nursing student with dreams of serving her community or the next generation of franchise leaders, Yum! and its brands are investing in people whose ambitions can help strengthen families, workplaces and communities for years to come.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>LOUISVILLE, Ky., September 1, 2026</b> — Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) (“Yum!” or the “Company”) today announced the completion of the sale of Pizza Hut, excluding Mainland China (“Pizza Hut Ex-China”), to LongRange Capital (“LongRange”) for approximately $1.5 billion, subject to certain adjustments, with the opportunity for Yum! to receive an additional earn-out of $75 million by 2030 based on future performance.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Together with the previously announced sale of Pizza Hut in Mainland China (“Pizza Hut China”) to Yum China Holdings, Inc. (“Yum China”), which closed on August 7, 2026, the LongRange transaction completes Yum!’s sale of Pizza Hut through two separate transactions for $2.7 billion in the aggregate, subject to certain purchase price adjustments.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">“With this transaction complete, Yum! Brands now moves forward as a more focused company with significant opportunities for growth around the world,” said Chris Turner, Chief Executive Officer, Yum! Brands. “Our unmatched digital capabilities and scale and our relentless focus on the future consumer, strengthening restaurant economics and leveraging Byte by Yum! will allow us to accelerate growth and deliver sustainable long-term value for our shareholders.” </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Goldman Sachs and Barclays served as financial advisers to Yum!. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as transaction counsel, Baker McKenzie served as international corporate and IP counsel, and Dinsmore and Shohl LLP advised on contract separation for Yum! in the sale of Pizza Hut Ex-China. Mayer Brown LLP served as transaction counsel to Yum! in the sale of Pizza Hut China.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>About Yum! Brands</b></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Yum! Brands, Inc., and its subsidiaries franchise or operate more than 44,000 restaurants in 151 countries and territories under its iconic brands — KFC, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill. KFC and Taco Bell are global leaders in the chicken and Mexican-inspired food categories, respectively. Habit is a fast-casual concept known for fresh, cooked-to-order food. Fueled by Yum!’s Recipe for Good Growth and its Raising the B.A.R priorities, Yum! combines the strength of its global brands, franchise system, scale and leading digital and technology capabilities to drive growth, create long-term value, and build the world’s most loved, trusted and connected restaurant brands. </span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b>Forward-Looking Statements</b></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">This announcement contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on and reflect our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections, our perception of historical trends and current conditions, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are neither predictions nor guarantees of future events, circumstances or performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. There can be no assurance that our expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections, including with respect to the future earnings and performance or capital structure of Yum! Brands, will prove to be correct or that any of our expectations, estimates or projections will be achieved.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Numerous factors could cause our actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: food safety and food- or beverage-borne illness concerns, including the impact of the July 2026 cyclospora outbreak; the impact of such outbreak on sales and pace of recovery; adverse impacts of public health conditions or other catastrophic or unforeseen events; the success and financial stability of our concepts’ franchisees; the success of our development strategy; anticipated benefits from past or potential future acquisitions, investments, other strategic transactions or initiatives, or our portfolio business model; the possibility that we may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of the sale of the Pizza Hut business; our significant exposure to the Chinese market; our global operations and related exposure to geopolitical instability, including the expansion or threatened expansion of restrictive trade policies and increasing anti-American sentiment; foreign currency risks and foreign exchange controls; our ability to protect the integrity or availability of IT systems or the security of confidential information and other cybersecurity risks; compliance with data privacy, data protection and emerging technology legal requirements; our ability to successfully and securely implement technology initiatives, including utilization of artificial intelligence; our increasing dependence on digital commerce and delivery platforms; the impact of social media; our ability to protect our trademarks or other intellectual property; shortages or interruptions in the availability and the delivery of food, equipment and other supplies; the loss of key personnel or failure to successfully transition senior management, labor shortages and increased labor costs, including as a result of state and local legislation related to wages and working conditions; changes in food prices and other operating costs; our corporate reputation, the value and perception of our brands and changes in consumer preferences such as wellness trends; evolving expectations and requirements with respect to social and environmental sustainability matters; adverse effects of severe weather and climate change; pending or future litigation and legal claims or proceedings; changes in, or non-compliance with, legal requirements; tax matters, including changes in tax rates or laws, impositions of new taxes, tax implications of our restructurings, or disagreements with taxing authorities; changes in consumer discretionary spending and macroeconomic conditions, including inflationary pressures and interest rate conditions; competition within the retail food industry; and risks relating to our level of indebtedness. In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. The forward-looking statements included in this announcement are only made as of the date of this announcement and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Analysts are invited to contact:</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Matt Morris, Head of Investor Relations, at 888/298-6986</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Members of the media are invited to contact:</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Lori Eberenz, Director of Public Relations, at 502/874-8200</span></span></p>
Building the world’s most loved, trusted and connected restaurant brands
