• Bloomberg, Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:32 AM

Taco Bell has closed 1,000 stores since 2000, while Yum Brands' KFC and Pizza Hut have expanded globally. Now, Taco Bell wants to go up against Chipotle and Qdoba. The chain is working with Miami chef Lorena Garcia to fight Chipotle Mexican Grill with black beans, cilantro rice and corn salsa.

“They have a tough road ahead to really reposition themselves as a direct competitor to Chipotle or Qdoba,” Mike Brumagin, a former Yum Brands senior project manager and Taco Bell store owner, said in an interview. Taco Bell has “always been about value.”

Taco Bell scored the lowest in food quality and atmosphere among limited-service Mexican eateries, including Chipotle and Jack in the Box Inc.’s Qdoba Mexican Grill, according to a September survey from Nation’s Restaurant News and consultant WD Partners.

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