United Kingdom Girds for New U.S. Fast Food Invasion

Three American chains—Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Ruby Tuesday—are targeting growth in Britain's dynamic but competitive restaurant business.

They are huge in the US, but few British diners have heard of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) or Ruby Tuesday (RT). But all this is about to change as the restaurant chains join Taco Bell in a three-pronged US attack on the British market this summer.

Chipotle, the burrito chain with nearly 1,000 restaurants across America, opened its first UK outlet in London in May and Taco Bell, the world's largest Mexican-inspired chain, will arrive in Essex this month.

However, success is not assured. Pizza Hut and KFC, which are also owned by Yum Brands (YUM), and McDonald's (MCD) have found the UK a welcome home, but some big hitters from across the pond have retreated with their tails between their legs.

Indeed, Taco Bell, which launches in the Lakeside shopping centre later this month, entered the UK in the early 1990s but exited a few years later after failing to make an impact. Similarly Wendy's (WEN), the global hamburger giant, threw in the towel in 2007 after two attempts at making it in the UK.