Poland’s foodservice sector grew by 4.7% in 2025, supported partly by the quick-service restaurant segment, which expanded by 5.7%, according to a Deloitte report. The strong performance helps explain why global restaurant brands are increasingly interested in the Polish market.
By the end of 2026, AmRest Group plans to open Poland’s first restaurants under the Taco Bell brand, offering food inspired by Mexican cuisine. The first opening is officially scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
“AmRest has been operating in Poland for more than 30 years. We run over 600 restaurants under several brands, ranging from KFC and Pizza Hut to Starbucks and Burger King,” Luis Comas, CEO of AmRest, told the Newseria news agency.
“At the same time, Taco Bell has been pursuing an international expansion strategy for several years. This encouraged us to consider introducing another Yum! Brands concept to Poland, in addition to Pizza Hut and KFC, which we already operate in partnership with the group.”
Comas pointed out that Taco Bell had recently entered markets including Greece, Ireland and Sweden, where it had achieved strong results.
“I think everything is now coming together perfectly: our ambition to introduce additional brands and continue expanding in Poland, and Taco Bell’s plans to develop the brand around the world,” he said.
AmRest operates more than 2,100 restaurants
AmRest is one of Europe’s largest multi-brand restaurant operators. As of the end of March 2026, the group operated 2,129 restaurants in 22 countries. Its portfolio includes franchised brands such as KFC, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and Burger King, as well as its own brands, including La Tagliatella, Sushi Shop and Blue Frog.
The company opened 12 new restaurants during the first quarter of 2026.
AmRest will be responsible for developing Taco Bell in Poland. The American brand, known for Mexican-inspired products such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas, operates in more than 37 markets outside the United States and serves over 40 million customers every week.
“The potential for QSR brands in Poland is enormous,” Comas said. “I believe that adding a proven concept such as Taco Bell to our portfolio represents an excellent opportunity.”
Poland’s foodservice market reaches €19 billion
According to the Deloitte Foodservice Market Monitor 2026, presented by the organisers of the Tuttofood trade fair in Milan, Poland’s foodservice sector grew by 4.7% year on year in 2025, reaching a value of approximately €19 billion.
The growth was driven primarily by the development of the quick-service restaurant model. Poland’s foodservice market expanded more quickly than the global sector, demonstrating the country’s increasing attractiveness to international restaurant operators.
“Polish consumers have also demonstrated very high awareness of the Taco Bell brand,” the AmRest CEO said. “Our research shows that spontaneous brand recognition is particularly strong among Generation Z and Generation Alpha. We are therefore not starting from scratch.”
According to Comas, Taco Bell is entering Poland at a time when the local quick-service restaurant market is becoming increasingly mature.
“The presence of brands from both the Yum! Brands and AmRest portfolios, combined with strong competition, means that the situation in Poland is already beginning to resemble that of Western Europe and other developed markets around the world,” he said.
Taco Bell targets Generation Z and Generation Alpha
AmRest representatives emphasise that Taco Bell has a strong presence in popular culture and is recognisable well beyond the restaurant industry.
Its distinctive purple bell logo appears in films, television series, video games and social media. This has helped the company build an image associated with freedom, bold flavours and a menu suited to an urban lifestyle.
As a result, Taco Bell has become particularly popular among younger consumers.
“Generation Z is probably our most important target group,” Comas said. “However, Generation Alpha—people born after 2010—is also becoming an increasingly important consumer group.”
Taco Bell refers to its approach to customer relationships and business growth as its “magic formula.”
The strategy combines several elements. These include generating “brand buzz” and customer engagement, running promotional campaigns centred on product quality, increasing the number of occasions on which consumers choose Taco Bell, and using innovative digital solutions to build stronger relationships with customers.
Several Taco Bell restaurants planned for 2026
The first Taco Bell restaurants are expected to open in Poland during the fourth quarter of 2026.
“Our expansion plan for Taco Bell in Poland provides for the opening of several restaurants before the end of the year,” Comas said. “Our objective is to establish a significant presence in Poland’s largest cities during the first three years, both in major shopping centres and on prominent high streets.”
AmRest expects the number of Taco Bell restaurants in Poland to grow at a double-digit rate during that period.
The international Taco Bell menu will initially be adapted to the expectations of Polish consumers. However, most of the product range will be based on the brand’s established global offering.
“Many elements of the Taco Bell menu are already well established,” Comas said. “There is a core group of products introduced in markets around the world which, depending on the country, represents approximately 70–80% of the total offering.”
Following the launch, AmRest will collect customer feedback and use it to adapt the menu to local tastes and market conditions.
Managers will train at Taco Bell restaurants abroad
The operational plan for launching Taco Bell in Poland involves close cooperation with the brand’s international team.
Preparations include training future restaurant managers at Taco Bell locations in other European countries.
“This is a lengthy process involving stays in those countries, practical experience and learning the brand’s operating principles and standards,” Comas explained.
AmRest’s experience in managing quick-service restaurants should make the process easier, as the company already has the organisational structures and expertise required to develop a major international brand.
“We are not starting from zero,” the CEO said. “We are building a team of people selected for their excellent customer service, strong management skills and good restaurant operating results.”
The preparations involve not only future restaurant managers but also supply chain and marketing executives, architects and other specialists responsible for supporting the new network.
Taco Bell’s unsuccessful first attempt in Poland
This will not be Taco Bell’s first appearance in Poland.
The brand first attempted to enter the country more than 30 years ago, working with a different business partner before AmRest was established.
In 1993, the first Taco Bell restaurant opened in Warsaw, at the junction of Widok Street and Pasaż Śródmiejski. However, the restaurant closed after only several months of operation.
“From today’s perspective, we can assume that there were several reasons why the project was not successful at that time,” Comas said.
One of the main problems was that Polish consumers had very limited knowledge of Mexican-inspired dishes such as quesadillas, tortillas and burritos.
“More than three decades ago, very few people were familiar with the diversity of these dishes and flavours,” he said.
Demand was also not sufficiently developed, while the economics of the business model remained unstable. Product and operating costs may also have worked against the investment.
“Importantly, we are talking about a period when most of today’s consumers had not yet been born,” Comas said. “We are now dealing with a completely different world and a very different stage in the evolution of the brand.”
