Newly named Taco Bell President Kenneth T. Stevens evidently knows good food when he tastes it.

Before being appointed president of the Irvine-based company on June 27, Stevens had served as Taco Bell's executive vice president and was charged with, among other things, developing the fast-food chain's non-traditional restaurant ventures.

Stevens was a senior vice president and treasurer for PepsiCo, Taco Bell's parent corporation, before joining the fast-food company. He is credited with steering PepsiCo toward its 50% stake in California Pizza Kitchens, a popular Los Angeles-based restaurant chain.

"Ken identified and cultivated that investment," one Taco Bell observer said. "It's seen as a real feather in his cap."