Taco Bell is hinted to be heading for New Zealand debut.

Taco Bell could soon make an entrance to the New Zealand market through Kiwi fast-food giant Restaurant Brands.

At its annual meeting in Christchurch on Thursday, Restaurant Brands chairman Ted Van Arkel said to "watch this space", in response to questions from shareholders about whether there were plans to bring the Mexican-themed chain to New Zealand.

"With three established brands all performing at a very high level, and Carls Jr now beginning to gain some traction, we are now starting to get to a position where we can begin to evaluate another brand opportunity," Van Arkel said.

"While it would be premature to start speculating now, we have been scanning the market in a number of sectors, including Mexican, and Asian."

Burger joint Carls Jr might also be making an entrance to the Christchurch market, Van Arkel said. The chain is established in the North Island, with a number of stores in Auckland, but has not yet made the shift down South.

Restaurant Brands owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Carls Jr franchises in New Zealand.

In June, the company announced a strong first quarter, with sales in the 12 weeks to May 25 rising by 14.7 per cent, or 7.6 per cent if new stores were taken out of the equation.

In April, the company announced a near-20 per cent rise in annual net profit. It made a $23.8 million profit for the year to March 2, up nearly $4m on the previous year.

Revenue rose 9 per cent to $359.5m, driven largely by the strength of its biggest brand, KFC.

Shareholders reaped a 15 per cent increase in dividend as a result, receiving 19c per share.

Restaurant Brands employs 4000 staff nationwide, and has around 180 stores.

The NZX-listed company's share price rose by 0.23 per cent following the meeting, finishing the day at $4.30 a share. It has risen 36 per cent over the last year.