Executive Spotlight: Who Is Joey Pierson, Tacala's CEO? (2027)
Joey Pierson is the chief executive officer of Tacala, a Taco Bell franchisee based in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, near Birmingham. Tacala's leadership page lists him as both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. A February 2026 Franchising.com profile put the company at 381 Taco Bell restaurants and 38 7 Brew coffee units, with about $875 million in annual revenue.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from Tacala's own pages and a trade-press profile.
Current role and company
Tacala says it was founded in 1989 by Dick Reese and Don Ghareeb, who opened the first Taco Bell in Columbiana, Alabama. Its leadership page says it now operates over 380 locations across the Southeast and Texas, with headquarters in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Altamont Capital Partners has supported the company since 2012.
- CompanyTacala, a Taco Bell franchisee that also operates 7 Brew coffee stands (company page and Franchising.com, 2026).
- TitleChief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Tacala leadership page).
- HeadquartersVestavia Hills, Alabama, in the Birmingham area (company page).
- Footprint381 Taco Bell and 38 7 Brew units across seven southern states, mainly Texas, Alabama and Tennessee (Franchising.com, February 2026).
Career path
- Education. Tacala's 2023 profile says he studied business and accounting at Auburn University.
- Ernst & Young. He spent 15 years at the public accounting firm in Birmingham, where he met Tacala's founders, per the same post.
- May 2001. He joined Tacala as chief financial officer.
- 2017 to December 2022. He served as co-CEO alongside Tim Morrison until Morrison retired.
- 2022 onward. He leads the company as CEO and CFO. Tacala joined 7 Brew in 2022, when that brand had 38 stores, per Franchising.com.
What he is known for
- Growing the Taco Bell system. Tacala says the company added more than 200 locations during his 22 years of leadership (2023 post). Franchising.com says growth since the Altamont partnership has been roughly half new builds and half acquisitions.
- Franchisee recognition. Tacala says it received Taco Bell's highest franchisee honor, the 2019 Glen Bell Award, under his leadership.
- Adding a second brand. Tacala has built 29 new 7 Brew stores since 2022, and Franchising.com reports his goal of 200 units by 2030. The article is inconsistent on whether that means 7 Brew locations or total units.
- Industry roles. Tacala's 2023 post says he leads the BIG 12, described as the largest Taco Bell franchise operators group, and serves as Vice-Chairman of the Foodservice Insurance Group and President of the Tigers Unlimited Foundation for Auburn Athletics.
Leadership style and philosophy
In the February 2026 Franchising.com profile, he describes the goal of making Tacala the premier multi-brand franchise group in the country while staying an employer of choice. On adding 7 Brew, he said: "We've always kicked the tires about adding other brands, and 7 Brew came along at exactly the right time."
The same profile describes a collaborative, hands-off style in which he prefers hearing a team's reasoning to dictating methods, and says he looks for people who push his thinking. It also cites 2025 employee programs, including the Tacala Ownership Pool and the Star Fund relief program, and Tacala Leadership University.
Key numbers
All figures are company-reported or as stated in the cited profile, with the period shown. Counts change, so check Tacala for current numbers.
- Founded1989 (Tacala company page).
- February 2026381 Taco Bell and 38 7 Brew units, as stated in the Franchising.com profile.
- Annual revenue$875 million (Franchising.com, February 2026).
- 7 Brew systemMore than 470 locations nationwide at the time of the profile; more than 320 by the end of 2024 (Franchising.com).
- Company pageOver 380 locations across the Southeast and Texas (Tacala, 2026).
Questions people ask
Who is Joey Pierson?
He is the CEO of Tacala, a Taco Bell franchisee based in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. Tacala lists him as both CEO and CFO.
What is Tacala?
A Taco Bell franchisee founded in 1989 that also operates 7 Brew coffee stands. A February 2026 profile cited 381 Taco Bell and 38 7 Brew units.
When did Joey Pierson join Tacala?
He joined in May 2001 as CFO, after 15 years at Ernst & Young, and was co-CEO from 2017 until December 2022.
What is the Glen Bell Award?
Tacala describes it as Taco Bell's highest franchisee recognition and says it received the 2019 award under his leadership.
Why did Tacala add 7 Brew?
He told Franchising.com the company had long considered other brands and that 7 Brew came along at the right time. The article calls 7 Brew the company's primary growth area.
Sources
- Franchising.com: A New Growth Strategy, Taco Bell Operator Spices Things up with a Shot of 7 Brew (Feb 2026) · Unit counts, revenue, 7 Brew, quote, philosophy
- Tacala: Our Story and leadership team · Title, founding, headquarters, location count; portrait with alt text naming him
- Tacala: Get to Know Our CEO, Joey Pierson (Feb 13, 2023) · Education, career, Glen Bell Award, industry roles
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 1, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is a portrait of Pierson alone from Tacala's own leadership page, where the image alt text names him. It is centered on a page-format card because the original is small. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Tacala (tacala.com/our-story)