Rusty Taco is accelerating its development growth, most recently signing several multi-unit franchise agreements to expand its national footprint. These latest deals will significantly increase brand presence in Utah, Nevada, Virginia, and Texas. In its second decade of operation, Rusty Taco is experiencing significant growth as a result of a strong pipeline fueled by the brand’s franchise development success.
The new Rusty Taco franchisees bring a wealth of industry and ownership experience to the brand and showcase the cross-brand opportunities available to franchisees within the Inspire Brands network. The new groups that have joined the system include:
Sean Cosper of Home Run Restaurant Group will bring three Rusty Taco locations to Salt Lake City, with the first one slated to open next year. Cosper also owns 13 Arby’s locations throughout Utah, which makes Rusty Taco the second Inspire Brands concept in his portfolio.
Brother-sister team Ian and Taylor Cain of Ocathain Partners, LLC will expand Rusty Taco in Nevada with two locations slated for development in Reno. The Cains first joined the Inspire Brands family when they opened a SONIC location in Nevada in 1999.
Brothers Fenil and Jitesh Patel of Tacos of Heaven, LLC signed an agreement to open two Rusty Taco locations in Norfolk, Va. While this will be their first Inspire Brands concept, the Patels have owned a variety of restaurant brands and hotels over the years.
Sheila Abusaab of Lion’s Den, MS, LLC will spearhead the group’s aggressive development across West Texas, signing a five-location development agreement with the first units set to open in Midland and Lubbock. Abusaab is a current Inspire Brands franchisee who also owns SONIC locations throughout West Texas.
In addition to Rusty Taco’s strong growth pipeline, the brand recently opened a new location in Dubuque, Iowa, which reported record-breaking sales in its first week. Rusty Taco will continue to grow its presence when the brand opens three new locations in San Antonio, Lawrence, Kan. and Richmond, Va over the next month, which will bring its total store count to 39.
“Over the past decade, while Rusty Taco has certainly evolved since its inception, we have remained focused on creating a welcoming environment where guests can comfortably enjoy the fresh and flavorful tacos, queso and margaritas that Rusty Taco is known for,” says Brendan Mauri, president of Rusty Taco. “This continued commitment, coupled with the expanded support and resources from Inspire Brands, has propelled our success and positioned us to grow our brand nationwide.”
Rusty Taco’s accelerated growth has been fueled by its latest menu innovations, including Specialty Tacos, Street Taco Bowls, and new margaritas, leading to increased AUVs and success across four-day parts. Going forward, the brand is looking to build upon those strengths and recent development signings to continue bringing high-quality tacos, queso, and margaritas nationwide.
