Dive Brief:
- Taco Bell has extended its Tacos and Tuition program to employees at participating franchised locations. Previously, only corporate employees and workers at company-operated stores were eligible, according to a Thursday press release.
- Taco Bell said investments in education benefits and leadership programs over the past year improved retention of frontline workers and managers.
- The Tacos and Tuition program offers upfront tuition coverage to eligible workers studying at a variety of educational institutions, ranging from GED and English-as-a-second-language programs to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Dive Insight:
The expansion of these employee benefits could help franchisees reduce turnover, as corporate-owned stores saw turnover fall by 17% in 2025. Taco Bell operated about 498 stores directly at the end of 2024, according to its franchise disclosure document, providing a meaningful sample size for this metric.
According to the press release, upwards of 1,100 stores have enrolled in the program and more franchisees are signing up to participate. Taco Bell said locations that have access to the tuition plan have “73% retention on the front line,” but did not note how that compares to locations without access to the benefit.
In addition to tuition benefits — which brands like Chipotle and Starbucks have long used to woo prospective workers — Taco Bell said it’s interested in lengthening the careers of its managers by adding new training and advancement opportunities. According to the press release, Taco Bell recently launched theLeap, a six-month training program for high performing managers and area coaches “that elevates and prepares rising talent for their next role within Taco Bell.”
According to the press release, more than 150 managers are currently enrolled in the program.
Internal development of managers is an important strategy for many chains. Portillo’s has a well-developed internal pipeline, Chipotle has long emphasized internal promotion for managers and Starbucks is planning to fill thousands of assistant manager roles with 90% internal promotions.
Internal promotions come with obvious benefits for operators, like prior experience with the brand and familiarity with the operational model. Taco Bell said 67% of restaurant leadership roles at company-operated restaurants were filled by internal candidates in 2025, and that its general managers have an average tenure with the chain of about 10 years.
