Our restaurant team members are the heart of our business and their health and safety is our top priority. After closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19, we’re expanding our global health and safety measures following guidance from public health authorities worldwide, including new recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to further protect our people, customers and brands. These measures include:

Low-contact service experience to protect our customers and employees – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill continue to be focused on making food available safely and with low contact through drive-thru, carryout, curbside pick-up, where available, and Contactless Delivery. We are using our global scale and industry expertise to continue to evolve and refine our practices based on the latest guidance and shifting consumer expectations, including implementing physical distancing measures in the restaurants where possible.

Safe workplace measures – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill are making thermometers available and implementing temperature checks of restaurant team members in the U.S. over the coming weeks. In addition, some KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in the U.S. plan to install counter shields to add a barrier between team members and customers in restaurants where carryout remains available. Many international markets plan to or have already adopted these policies.

As previously announced, we’ve also further strengthened our already stringent global hygiene, cleaning and sanitation procedures in all restaurants including increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing high-touch areas, reinforcing our strict handwashing, health and wellness policies and ensuring hand sanitizer is available.

Personal protective equipment for restaurant employees

• Protective facial coverings. KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill have started requiring restaurant team members to wear non-surgical grade face masks or coverings as an added protection in all our U.S. restaurants and internationally, where facial coverings are recommended or required by local health authorities. We are also allowing restaurant team members to temporarily wear their own cloth face coverings until we secure enough non-surgical grade face masks to supply the global system.
• Single-use disposable gloves. All guest-facing restaurant team members in the U.S. will wear single-use, disposable gloves during their shifts, in addition to team members who are already required to wear gloves when handling and preparing food after they’ve thoroughly washed and sanitized their hands.

Company-owned restaurant employee pay – In our nearly 900 U.S. company-owned KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill restaurants, we’re paying employees who are required to stay at home for their scheduled or regularly scheduled hours during their time away from work.

Restaurant employee medical relief fund – Through the Yum! Brands Foundation’s Global Employee Medical Relief Fund, we’re also providing financial support for restaurant employees at company and franchise-owned restaurants who are diagnosed with or who are caring for someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Yum! and brand employees and others can also donate to the Fund by going to www.yum.com/giverelief. Any funds that are raised that aren’t allocated to restaurant team members will be used to support other front-line workers and those facing food insecurity.

As the most important leaders in our brands who lead with heart and courage to ensure the health and safety of team members, customers and restaurants, RGMs are critical to getting our company through the COVID-19 crisis. This bonus is intended to acknowledge their efforts managing teams and maintaining business continuity during these challenging times.

In addition, Yum! Brands Foundation recently launched a Global Employee Medical Relief Fund to provide financial support for restaurant employees at company and franchise-owned stores who are diagnosed with or who are caring for someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Today, Yum! Brands announced it is directing additional money toward the Fund to help employees and franchise associates during this difficult time. Yum! and brand employees and others can also donate to the Fund by going to www.yum.com/giverelief. Any funds that are raised that aren’t allocated to restaurant team members will be used to support other front-line workers and those facing food insecurity.

Globally Focused on Employees, Low-Contact Options for Customers and Support for Franchisees and Communities

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are complying with local and state health and governmental policies and mandates, which vary across the country. In addition, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S. will offer drive-thru, carryout and delivery services, which are important ways to make food available safely and with low contact in a social distancing environment.

More information on each brand’s response to COVID-19 can be found below.

KFC U.S.
Update on KFC U.S. restaurant operations
Letter from KFC U.S. President

Pizza Hut U.S.
Update on Pizza Hut U.S. restaurant operations

Taco Bell U.S.
Update on Taco Bell U.S. restaurant operations

As a global company, we’re closely monitoring the situation and the evolving intelligence from public health, travel and national security authorities. We’re following the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of State and other similar organizations in countries where we operate to ensure we have the best plans in place to protect our people, our customers and our brands.

First and foremost, we and our franchisees have industry-leading action plans, standards and policies in the restaurants to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19. Our Global Food Safety team has reinforced our already stringent protocols in all restaurants emphasizing prevention, hygiene, cleaning and sanitation. We are in contact with our leaders in every country to provide additional resources, guidance and support.

KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have increased health and safety measures in restaurants around the globe in response to this dynamic situation, including:

• Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing throughout the restaurants
• Focusing on sanitizing high-touch areas such as front counters, pin pads, tables, trays, etc.
• Reinforcing our already strict sanitation, handwashing and health and wellness policies for employees
• Making every effort to ensure hand sanitizer is always available in the restaurants for team members and customers
• Creating feedback channels for restaurant teams and franchise partners to help quickly answer questions and provide any necessary guidance to the restaurants

In addition, our brands are working with delivery partners around the globe to prepare for an increase in demand for online ordering and delivery services.

Secondly, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell will continue to enforce their already strict procedures around illness reporting for restaurant team members. Should one of our restaurant team members become directly exposed to or diagnosed with a confirmed case of COVID-19, the affected employees will be required to self-quarantine. We’ll work with local health authorities, thoroughly clean and sanitize the restaurant, and if an employee is confirmed, close the restaurant until it is safe to reopen. We’re working closely with our franchisees around the world to reinforce this strict policy.

Because our people are the heart of our organization, and we understand the impact these actions can have, at our company-owned restaurants, we’ll be paying employees who are required to self-quarantine, or who work at a restaurant that is closed, for their scheduled or regularly scheduled hours. We’re also encouraging our franchise partners to take a similar people-first approach.

Third, at our corporate offices and restaurant support centers, we’ve directed employees to postpone all nonessential business travel (and we’ve prohibited travel to highly-affected countries) while we continue to assess developments both abroad and in the U.S. Based on the dynamic nature of COVID-19, our global RSC offices also have plans in place so employees can work remotely as needed.

Our unrivaled people and culture are truly what make Yum! Brands unique. We are so appreciative of our teams and franchisees across the globe for their commitment to the well-being of every single person in the communities where we operate.

As the world’s largest restaurant company, our customers span ages, backgrounds and borders, and we remain committed to serving them in a way that protects their health and safety. Times like these are a reminder that we are all globally connected and each have a role to play in helping others. At Yum!, we are committed to doing just that.

David Gibbs
CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc