Taco Bell opens a business school, because the most in-demand ingredient is retention

Welcome to Taco B-school... where an MBA comes with a CGC (Cheesy Gordita Crunch). Taco Bell is launching a business school for aspiring franchisees in partnership with the University of Louisville. The six-week boot camp will train existing Taco Bell managers on financing, HR, marketing, and other topics related to running a business. TB employees who are accepted will receive scholarships to cover tuition, plus some enviable Taco B-school swag.

• Most of Taco Bell's 7K locations are franchised, aka: owned by ordinary people or orgs. Taco Bell sells the rights to use its brand (as long as the gorditas are crunchy, no one knows who owns it). Franchise owners give TB a cut of their sales.
• The new program will be supported through the Yum Center for Global Franchise Excellence, which aims to unlock opportunities for underrepresented communities through education on the business of franchising.
• KenTacoHut: TB's parent, Yum Brands, also owns KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum shares are up 18% over the past year as drive-thrus + fried foods = pandemic comfort.

Taco baseball cap... T-Bell isn't the only chain to start a school for employees: McDonald's Hamburger University has been training managers and franchisees for 60 years, and California staple In-N-Out runs a university for new managers.

• While fast-food jobs are often seen as stepping-stones to other careers, TB wants to show restaurant leaders “how their careers could flourish” at Taco Bell.