Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. announced it has made a majority investment in Rusty Taco Inc., which owns and operates Rusty Taco restaurants and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Rusty Taco features a menu of tacos prepared fresh in a fun and lively atmosphere. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Rusty Taco's fresh approach to tacos truly sets this concept apart," says Kathy Benning, Buffalo Wild Wings' executive vice president and chief strategy officer of new business development. "Buffalo Wild Wings' investment is part of our strategy to partner with emerging restaurant concepts that have the potential for significant growth, can work throughout the country, and have a highly engaged management team with a passion to grow the business."
Rusty Taco boasts fast, affordable food served in a friendly and fun atmosphere. As a fast-casual restaurant, Rusty Taco specializes in street-style tacos made from scratch. In 2010, the first restaurant opened its doors in Dallas, Texas. Since then, Rusty Taco has grown to include nine locations: two company-owned restaurants and seven franchised locations in Dallas, Denver, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
"We are delighted to be partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings and believe it can have an immediate impact in helping accelerate our growth," says Steve Dunn, chief executive officer of Rusty Taco. "Our co-founder, Rusty Fenton, always said, ‘Tacos are the most important meal of the day,' and we truly live that every day by providing our guests with the freshest ingredients and authentic tasting tacos at an affordable price."
In addition to Rusty Taco, Buffalo Wild Wings also has a minority investment in Los Angeles–based PizzaRev, a growing artisanal pizza concept. PizzaRev is a fast-casual pizza chain delivering an interactive dining experience where Guests craft their own pizzas, choosing from a wide variety of premium-quality ingredients, in any amount, for one price.
"As part of our long-term growth strategy, we are actively looking for additional concepts to invest in to build a portfolio of emerging brands, and continue to build a dynamic restaurant company," Benning says.
