The two brands are relocating their joint global headquarters to a bigger site in Irvine, California, with the move set for the spring of 2028.
Both Yum Brands chains will move to Alton HQ at 15955, 15967, 15975 Alton Parkway. The new three-building campus spans 251,000 square feet and sits roughly 1.1 miles from their current address at 1 Glen Bell Way.
The footprint is set to grow beyond the existing 181,000-square-foot size. Taco Bell took over the Glen Bell Way spot in 2010, and the company renewed its lease for another 11 years in 2019. Nation’s Restaurant News contacted the company to find out whether the lease terms were revised or if the two parties are paying off the remaining two years instead.
Habit moved into the building in 2020, shortly after Yum acquired the chain for approximately $375 million.
The Alton Parkway Campus
According to the companies, the new location will accommodate roughly 1,100 people or more, compared with about 970 people or more at present. The meeting space capacity is set to nearly double.
The campus is set to feature a meeting space measuring 10,000 square feet, a dining center, a photo studio spanning 4,000 square feet, and a dedicated test kitchen for Habit Burger.
“As Taco Bell and Habit continue to grow, we want our workplace to grow with us,” Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and Habit Burger CEO Shannon Hennessy said in a joint statement. “Our new campus in Irvine is an investment in our people and our future, giving our teams more space to collaborate and create. This campus reflects our confidence in what’s ahead and reinforces our long-term commitment to Irvine and the broader Orange County community.”
Irvine Company Office Properties owns the Alton HQ space. In a statement, President Roger DeWames said that the firm has been collaborating with both Taco Bell and Habit to tailor the premises to their specific requirements.
Irvine Roots
The two chains will continue operating in Irvine, though the new campus represents a notable increase in both scale and facilities.
The chain’s founder, Glen Bell, started Taco Bell in 1962, and the company has called Palos Verdes and Torrance home before choosing Irvine more than 40 years ago as its base. Habit opened its first restaurant in 1969 in Santa Barbara, California. Before the move to 1 Glen Bell Way, the company’s headquarters sat somewhere else in Irvine.
The executives referred to the campus as “an investment in our people and our future”, a symbol of their “long-term commitment to Irvine and the broader Orange County community.”.
The Yum Brands Picture
Both Taco Bell and Habit Burger fall under the ownership of Yum Brands, whose headquarters sit in Plano, Texas, alongside KFC.
Yum recently sold its Pizza Hut brand in two separate deals to LongRange Capital and Yum China. Executives said the spinoff will allow the company to better focus on its remaining brands, including its “twin growth engines” of Taco Bell and KFC International.
Both chains are still growing, according to the companies, and that growth is what has prompted the headquarters move.
Hard Numbers
- New location: Alton HQ, 15955, 15967, 15975 Alton Parkway, Irvine, California
- Move date: Spring 2028
- New campus size: 251,000 square feet, three buildings
- Current footprint: 181,000 square feet
- Distance from current HQ: approximately 1.1 miles
- Capacity: approximately 1,100-plus people (up from 970-plus)
- Meeting space: 10,000 square feet
- Photo studio: 4,000 square feet
- Yum acquired Habit for approximately $375 million
- Taco Bell founded by Glen Bell in 1962
- Habit opened first restaurant in Santa Barbara in 1969
The shift shows trust in the Irvine market and the brands’ expansion goals. Until the spring of 2028, both chains will continue operating from their present headquarters.
Source: nrn.com