Originally published by Taco Bell

At Taco Bell, our Brand Values (Be Fan-Led, Be People-First, Be Fearless, Be Different) are found and reflected in everything we do. This season, we’re highlighting core value #1, Be Fan-Led. Being fan-led means we take cues from our fans, customers and team members to deliver innovative crave worthy experiences that have a positive impact on our people, industry and planet. Take a look below to see how our Taco Bell Community embodies the Fan-Led core value!

For Shift Lead Antonia, Taco Bell is a place to be herself, meet new people and be creative on a daily basis.

“Taco Bell has given me the confidence to be myself and interact with new people and personalities every day. My team makes my shifts enjoyable and something to look forward to. No matter how busy or slow it is, we’re always pushing each other to do better, cracking jokes and having fun. I’ve found many long-lasting friendships which I am so grateful for.”

From connecting with her team to building new relationships with customers, Antiona treasures every interaction she has with those around her.

“Making connections with customers is a one-of-a-kind experience. Whether it’s a small interaction or a longer one, it’s always a blast, especially with my Sunday regulars.”

These interactions are the very moments that led Antonia to exemplify fan-led behavior of creating, innovating and pushing the menu boundaries.

“As I started observing the many modifications customers requested, the wheels on my brain started turning and thinking about what could put an item over the top and make it stick.”

Antonia started picking up on customer hacks from the day-to-day business to share with those who walked into the restaurant.

“It only makes sense to see what our valued consumers consistently modify because this could lead to an item modification that would interest more people.”

This fan-led approach led Antonia to land a spot on Menu Blast, Taco Bell’s cooking competition, challenging three team members from across the country to hack a Taco Bell classic, cook with new oven-roasted chicken, and invent a day-to-night duo.

“For the competition, I re-invented the chicken melt with lava sauce. While working in restaurant, I could see that a lot of customers were hyped about the return of Volcano, so that got me thinking about what regular menu item could be elevated with this fan-favorite.”

Antonia was inspired by her customers to re-invent this three-ingredient item in the cooking competition, and that made the opportunity even more special.

“I felt so valued and honored to make this in the competition, especially knowing that people would be excited to see the classic melt with a twist.”

See Antonia in action during Menu Blast, and stay tuned to see how our Team Members are practicing Taco Bell’s core four!

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 60,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the company’s concepts – Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill. The Company's Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the Mexican-inspired food, chicken and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. In 2024, Yum! was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America, Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders and 3BL’s list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens. In 2025, the Company was recognized among TIME magazine’s list of Best Companies for Future Leaders. In addition, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut brands were ranked in the top 25 of Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchises Ranking for 2025, with Taco Bell securing the No. 1 spot for the fifth consecutive year.

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