Taco John’s celebrated the consumption of its billionth taco at its
Cheyenne, WY headquarters in May. The event, attended by local media,
system franchisees and the Governor of Wyoming, marked the beginning of a
yearlong celebration within the Taco John’s system involving all franchised
and company store locations.

“All the credit for this achievement really belongs to the dedicated
franchise owners in our system and the rest of the Taco John’s Family who
have helped us build and shape the brand over the past 32 years,” said Paul
Fisherkeller, Taco John’s president and chief executive officer.

Referring to Taco John’s appeal, Fisherkeller says, “Taco John’s is a
strong brand with an excellent consumer profile. From extensive research,
we know our customers view our menu offerings as larger portions with higher
quality and more authentic Mexican flavors.

Newly appointed chief operating officer, Gene Van Horne, was also present at
the celebration, which kicked off with the crowd gathering around a
“taco-meter” constructed by an employee several years ago. The makeshift
machine, sitting in the reception area of the company’s headquarters, has
been cleverly ticking off tacos sold throughout the system for years.

Van Horne, who served as the company’s vice president of franchise
development for over a year before being promoted to chief operating officer
two weeks ago, tells of the discovery of the billionth taco.

“One day in April,” said Van Horne, “one of the staff came rushing in to
alert Paul (Fisherkeller) and the rest of us that the taco-meter was
approaching a billion tacos. So, we decided then and there that this was
cause for a celebration. It’s just another indicator of our growth.”

According to Fisherkeller, “Our goal is to be the number one regional chain
in quick-service Mexican. In recent years, the company has shifted strategy
from franchising single locations in towns and small cities to working with
area developers who will open several stores at a time in larger markets.”

Van Horne enthused, “We believe at Taco John’s that we’ve found the right
formula to make the decisions that resound positively for the company and
our franchisees.”

A new location with AAFES (Army, Air Force Exchange Services) opens in Fort
Carson in Colorado Springs this summer as part of a 15-store development
plan.