Taco Bell Restaurant Vs. Dairy Queen Restaurant: Location Analysis

In comparing the locations of two well-known fast-food chains, Taco Bell and Dairy Queen, the location aspect gives the reader a better understanding of their business and market coverage plans. Taco Bell, which offers a Mexican concept product, is mainly situated in urban and suburban markets, with young consumers preferring convenience and operating late into the night. However, others, such as the Dairy Queen, which deals with soft-serve ice cream and hamburgers, tend to establish themselves in smaller towns or suburban parts that appeal to families or groups of people looking for a more dining experience. Analyzing the distribution of these locations provides insights into how each brand adjusts its menu to meet customer demands and regional culture.

History of Taco Bell

In 1951, while in Amarillo, Glen Bell saw a local restaurant that had started offering Crunchy Taco. This led to the opening of his first Taco Bell restaurant in Downey, California, in 1962. In the following years of the 1980s, Taco Bell continued to grow at a faster pace. Interestingly to know that in 1967, it had only one hundred outlets; however, in 1970, the company floated its stock with a gross of three hundred and twenty-five restaurants. Taco Bell continued to grow, and in 1978, Glen Bell decided to sell 868 stores to PepsiCo. In 1997, the company gained its own identity as it was an offshoot of PepsiCo, following the formation of a new parent company, Tricon Global Beverages. A few years later, favorites like Gordita and Crunchwrap Supreme entered the list; the hesitant use of technology was comp podium in the 2010s with a mobile application and delivery services.

History of Dairy Queen Restaurant

The story of Dairy Queen began in 1940 when the first restaurant was established in Joliet, Illinois. In the following years, items such as malts and shakes were offered by Dairy Queen in 1949, banana split in 1951, and the favorite Dilly Bar in 1955. This brand soon went global, with the first outlet in Canada in 1953 and Panama in 1959. One year later, in 1962, the International Dairy Queen, abbreviated as IDQ, was established to oversee its international operations. Further development at Dairy Queen also occurred in 2005, where they produced GrillBurgers, the mobile app, in 2018 and Non-Dairy Dilly Bar in 2020. Since 1984, the brand has supported the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and in 2006, it initiated the Miracle Treat Day.

States and Territories with the Most Taco Bell Restaurants in the USA

Taco Bell is a popular fast-food chain with thousands of locations across the United States. The existence is increasing due to high demand for fast food and large geographic areas. Let’s explore the top 5 state and territories with the most Taco Bell Restaurants:

California

California, therefore, has the highest number of outlets boasting 882 Taco Bell restaurants, which is 11% of the total outlets in the United States of America. Thus, if there is any consolation to the figure, there is a Taco Bell outlet for every 44,798 people in the state because of its large population. This indicates that although the fast food joint is present in many states, its density per state is much lower compared to other states. Due to the large size of California and its diverse population in large cities like Los Angeles, in addition to the rural regions, a large market supports Taco Bell’s numerous stores across the region.

Texas

In Texas, 104 Taco Bell outlets account for 1% of all the Taco Bell outlets in the United States. There is one location for every 41,246 people, and thereby, fast food is even more accessible in Texas compared to California, specifically for the current brand, Taco Bell. The large population and size of the state of Texas have contributed to the strong demonstrations of the chain throughout this region. Some of the major markets include Houston, Dallas, and Austin, but the company targets other cities and towns to appeal to both the urban and rural markets in the state.

Florida

Florida has 479 Taco Bells, which means it occupies a 6% share of overall Taco Bell outlets in the U.S. Population to restaurant ratio is also similar to California with one Taco Bell store for each 44,839 persons or households. This allows Taco Bell to expand throughout the state, reaching important tourist areas like Orlando or Miami, as well as minor cities and beach areas. Florida’s population includes many residents and visitors, which will always need fast food, making it a strategic state for Taco Bell.

Ohio

There are 407 Taco Bell restaurants in Ohio, which accounts for 5% of total outlets in the United States; Ohio has a population of 11. 69 million, which means that the average location of Taco Bell is at an interval of 28,720 people, thereby making it have relatively many locations. This means that Ohio residents can easily access Taco Bell, especially in cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. There are many more restaurants congregated than there are people, so Taco Bell has taken Ohio with many branches within urban centers and towns.

Michigan

The company has Taco Bell restaurants at 341 in Michigan, which is 4 percent of total restaurants in the United States of America, with a population of 9. 99 million, meaning that there is one Taco Bell per 29,290 people. Like Ohio, the fast food chain Taco Bell is well rooted in Michigan, which means accessibility in areas such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor. It has even extended right down to small towns. The population density of restaurants in Michigan suggests that fast food is a frequently consumed necessity in the region, and Taco Bell is a competitive player in the fast-food sector.

States and Territories with the Most Dairy Queen Restaurants in the USA

The plane holder of International Dairy Queen Inc. is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has more than 7500 outlets all around the globe covering 20 countries. As a company, Dairy Queen has an advanced background in ints and foods and is a favorite brand internationally. Let’s explore the top 5 states and territories of Dairy Queen restaurants in the USA:

Texas

Dairy Queen in Texas is vast, with 579 outlets. The 579 outlets represent 14% of all Dairy Queen restaurants in the United States of America. This signifies a huge percentage, this shows that there are more Dairy Queen restaurants in Texas than in any other state. Currently, in Texas, it is found that there is about one Dairy Queen store per fifty thousand seventy-nine people. To elaborate on this, let us assume the population of Texas is around 29 million; the above computation suggests that a Dairy Queen serves at least 50,079 people. Overall, Texas has the largest number of Dairy Queens by far. Still, because of the population density, there’s a significantly lesser number of Dairy Queens per capita than in other states.

Ohio

Currently, Ohio has a total of 257 Dairy Queen stores. So, these 257 places are 6% of all the Dairy Queen restaurants in the U.S., which is still much less than in Texas but a good number. Ohio has an estimated 78 Dairy Queen outlets, meaning there is a dairy queen outlet for every 45,482 people. The population in Ohio is estimated to be about 11. 7 million, 257 for Dairy Queen, and they are able to divide 7,000,000 by 257 and get that one location for every 45,482 people. Overall, there are fewer Dairy Queens in Ohio than in Texas; however, for every person, there are more DQs in Ohio than in Texas.

Illinois

Illinois has 252 outlets for Dairy Queen. It was found that 252 restaurants are 6% of the total Dairy Queen outlets in the U. S., as in the case of Ohio. In Illinois, there is 1 Dairy Queen for every 50,286 people. Illinois has a population of about 12.7 million, so dividing that by 252 gives us this figure. Overall, Illinois has a similar number of Dairy Queens per person as Texas, with one location for about every 50,000 people. Despite having fewer Dairy Queens overall compared to Texas, the population-per-restaurant ratio is quite close.

Minnesota:

Minnesota has 210 DQ shops, representing 5% of the total number of shops in the United States. Minnesota’s population is about 5.64 million people, and with 210 Dairy Queens, there is one Dairy Queen for approximately every 26,857 people. This means there is a Dairy Queen per a smaller population compared to other states, making it relatively high-density. Dairy Queen also has more outlets in Minnesota, meaning it is easier for its clients to access it.

Georgia:

Georgia has 205 stores, which covers 5 percent of all company outlets in the United States, similar to Minnesota. Again, Georgia’s population is much larger, estimated to be around 10.62 million people. With only 205 Dairy Queens, there is an average of 1 Dairy Queen per every 51,785 people. This is noticeably lower than in Minnesota, which means that Georgians can get to their nearest Dairy Queens further away, and restaurants have to cover a larger population.

Cities with the Most Number of Taco Bell and Dairy Queen Restaurants in the United States

Various cities have large numbers of store locations of Taco Bell and Dairy Queen restaurants, which indicates the

Taco Bell

The city with the most Taco Bell outlets in the United States is Houston, Texas, with 65 outlets in total. This large Texan city is home to many ways in which people can access the brand’s fast food, which they are very familiar with.

The third is Las Vegas, Nevada, which has 44 Taco Bell restaurant branches. As one of the hottest cities in terms of nightlife and entertainment, the city is not the place to go for citizens and tourists to have a fast meal.

Right behind it is San Antonio, Texas, with 41 restaurants from the Taco Bell series. The city is another strategic region in Texas whereby Taco Bell has its offices and stores well established.

The fourth city is Indianapolis, Indiana, with 39 Taco Bell outlets. Being a capital city of Indiana, of cause there are a lot of opportunities to choose a Taco Bell in Indianapolis.

Lastly, Phoenix in Arizona reported 38 Taco Bell restaurants which caters for a large urban area as seen from many locations around this city.

Dairy Queen Restaurant:

The city with the most Dairy Queen restaurants in the United States is Houston, Texas, with 25 restaurants. Dairy Queen is a popular fast food chain that offers a variety of meals, and as Houston is a large city with many inhabitants, people will always have an opportunity to buy something from this cafe.

Second in the list is San Antonio in Texas with DQ outlets of 18. Possessing several tourist sites, the city has many of these restaurants strewn all over the area that are interesting in terms of cultural sites.

Indianapolis, Indiana, and Tucson, Arizona, are in third place with 16 restaurants. Both cities have embraced the brand, making it easier for individuals to find a place where the ice cream is served.

The last on the list is Phoenix, Arizona, home to 15 Dairy Queen outlets. The city has a decent number of stores for those who want to try a standard Dairy Queen dish or a treat.

States and Territories Without any Taco Bell and Dairy Queen Restaurants

There are five U. S. territories where the brand has no presence. These are the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U. S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Most of these territories are situated outside the Mainland United States and in those hard-to-reach areas, which may probably justify the lack of a single Taco Bell restaurant. Some of the reasons include distance from supply centers, small populations, and maybe different tastes and preferences from those found in the United States that have made Taco Bell to avoid opening outlets in these regions.

However, the geographical barriers in these countries in terms of operation might make it less possible for the logistic and economic practicalities to allow the chain to start from these territories.

There are seven U. S. states and territories without any Dairy Queen restaurants. The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Vermont, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Even though Dairy Queen is present in many parts of the United States, these regions are still an exception. Some cities like Vermont and DC may be out of existence due to the lack of people or the fact that some food joints are mainly in urban areas. Some possible factors could be logistical problems of location and supply chain, or the local palate might not be quite suitable for fast food franchises, thus making it unprofitable for Dairy Queen to set up locations in such territories.

Conclusion

Thus, the analyzed location strategies of Taco Bell and Dairy Queen present how the two companies differ in their business models and customer segments. It proves its focus on the densely populated areas where it provides the facility of fast service and evening food. On the other hand, Dairy Queen also operates in urban areas, but it is much more expanded in the small towns and suburbs. This aligns with its aim of targeting families and other communities for a more informal eating-out experience, with Texas being its most prominent market. Each chain has effectively adapted the style to the preferences of people in each area. However, the geographical markets that each chain targets enhance the distinction between the image of Taco Bell being more modern and for the young. At the same time, Dairy Queen is more traditional, family-oriented, and store-based.