# How come we don't have Taco bells in England **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092 "2003-04-21T18:34:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/1 "2003-04-21T18:34:11Z")
This has bugged me cause places like Pakistan have them, but not England, why the hell not? ---
**Author:** ![Logical\_Phallacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Logical\_Phallacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logical_Phallacy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/2 "2003-04-21T18:50:46Z")
british people have culture & good taste? ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/3 "2003-04-21T18:53:57Z")
last time I heard, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/4 "2003-04-21T18:55:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > \*\*This has bugged me cause places like Pakistan have them, but not England, why the hell not? \*\* Just lucky, I guess. Why would you want one? Ugh! ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/5 "2003-04-21T18:57:58Z")
If you really WANT them, it would probably be better to ask YUM brands[sup]1[/sup] why not. Presumably, if they got enough enquiries, they might decide there was a potential market. [sup]1[/sup] - the spinoff from PepsiCo which owns Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and A&W. ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/6 "2003-04-21T19:08:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Logical Phallacy \* > \*\*british people have culture & good taste? \*\* Have you eaten British food? The only good food there is foreign stuff. The whole reason they did that whole world spanning empire thing was to get some decent resteraunts. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/7 "2003-04-21T19:12:15Z")
Poison gas weapons are illegal in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/8 "2003-04-21T19:30:23Z")
Do you have many real Mexican restaurants there? Do people there commonly eat tacos and burritos they make themselves? I suppose someone in marketing just figures there isn’t a lot of interest there in Mexican snacks (even very gringo-ized ones)… …not that you are missing anything profound. Taco Bell just seems to be less globalised than the other Yum brands. [http://www.yum.com/international/system.htm](http://www.yum.com/international/system.htm) I remember some years ago they expanded into Mexico…it flopped. The other fast food chains do very well there. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/9 "2003-04-21T19:33:58Z")
It seems there used to be at least one: [http://www.veen.com/veen/jeff/London/day01.html](http://www.veen.com/veen/jeff/London/day01.html) > [@](#): > > 1/10/91 > > … > > Kevin and I went to the British Museum today after class and lunch at Taco Bell. Yes, that’s right, we come all the way to London and eat at Taco Bell. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/10 "2003-04-21T19:36:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DreadCthulhu \* > \*\*Have you eaten British food? The only good food there is foreign stuff. The whole reason they did that whole world spanning empire thing was to get some decent resteraunts. \*\* Yes, actually, I have, and the very idea of a pie with kidneys in it kind of turns me off, even if I know there’s steak in there, too. (Your roast beef and your fish & chips are good, though.) But there are fine authentic Indian and Chinese restaurants in the UK. There must be bona fide Mexican ones, too, if that’s your thing. Taco Bell is just vile, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/11 "2003-04-21T19:38:23Z")
Er… I have eaten in a Taco Bell in London. It was a long time ago though, almost certainly sometime between 1990 and 1992. My girlfriend at the time was studying in London and took me to the place. It was a truly nauseating experience. So I think the answer to the question is that they tried to expand in Britain, but failed. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/12 "2003-04-21T19:48:54Z")
Here we go again slagging off British food. This from the country were most people are overweight because they eat too much junk food. ( I realize that this is a generalization but it is no worse that people from the USA , most of whom have never been here , saying that all Brirtish food is bad without ever even tasting it )😉 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/13 "2003-04-21T19:49:37Z")
Given Taco Bell’s culinary reputation and the British umm…tastes it would seem to be a match made in heaven for both parties, however, I think the generally good quality Indian food available to the Brits now might have spolied them a bit at this point. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/14 "2003-04-21T19:50:53Z")
Well, _someone_ out there must be enjoying Taco Bell: > [@](#): > > Taco Bell Corp., a division of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc., is the nation’s leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain with more than $4.8 billion in system-wide sales. Taco Bell serves more than 55 million consumers each week in its 4,700 restaurants nationwide. [http://www.tacobell.com/ourcompany/press/chihuahua.htm](http://www.tacobell.com/ourcompany/press/chihuahua.htm) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/15 "2003-04-21T19:50:54Z")
I know someone who used to think Taco Bell was the Mexican telephone company. I am not making this up. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/16 "2003-04-21T19:52:38Z")
British food is good. Taco Bell has one, and only one, thing in its favour: It’s cheap. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/17 "2003-04-21T20:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MLS \* > \*\*Yes, actually, I have, and the very idea of a pie with kidneys in it kind of turns me off, even if I know there’s steak in there, too. (Your roast beef and your fish & chips are good, though.) But there are fine authentic Indian and Chinese restaurants in the UK. There must be bona fide Mexican ones, too, if that’s your thing. Taco Bell is just vile, IMHO. \*\* Taco Bell is not the greatest Mexican food. But really tacos and burritos are not that hard to make and Taco Bell’s are not that bad. When I was in England last summer there were definitely some pub meals I had that were worse than a burrito supreme. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/18 "2003-04-21T20:21:54Z")
Yes, YUM is apparently in 17 countries … they just won’t name which ones on any of their web sites, for some annoying reason. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/19 "2003-04-21T20:22:21Z")
I remember a Taco Bell in Leicester Square, London, but I don’t recall it ever making it out of the tourist areas before folding. Taco Bell is not the only US chain not to make it in the UK. Subway made a brief appearance and there have been at least 3 attempts to establish Wendys. My guess would be that the initial costs of exporting the brand are quite high and sometimes they fail to reach critical mass so they pull the plug. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092/20 "2003-04-21T20:44:28Z")
Another [English TB hunt](http://www.virtualtourist.com/f/p/320a/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-we-dont-have-taco-bells-in-england/170092.md?page=2)