Rusty Taco, the Texas-based fast-casual restaurant chain that features street-style tacos and launched in Dallas in 2010, is changing its name to R TacoTM, the company announced.
“As we grow the business and expand beyond its Dallas roots, we wanted to ensure the concept name had broader appeal while still linking to the brand’s heritage,” says Steve Dunn, cofounder and R Taco CEO. “Shortening the name to ‘R Taco’ still provides a link to cofounder Rusty Fenton’s legacy while the phonetic play on ‘R’ sounding like ‘our’ is friendly and welcoming, like the spirit of the brand.”
The restaurant specializes in street-style tacos made with fresh, hand-prepared ingredients and fast, affordable food served in a friendly and fun atmosphere. Currently, there are nine Rusty Taco restaurants in Dallas, Denver, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, plus one food truck, with plans in the works to open additional locations.
The R Taco logo is an evolution of the current Rusty Taco logo, utilizing key aspects (the colors, cosmic cursive font, and the street sign-style inspiration) to maintain the brand legacy. It includes a “wink” to the focus of the brand, featuring a hidden taco created by the highlight located within the center of the prominent “R.”
Buffalo Wild Wings is a majority owner of Rusty Taco Inc., as part of its strategy to partner with emerging restaurant concepts that have the potential for significant growth, have appeal throughout the country and have a highly engaged management team with a passion to grow the business. Buffalo Wild Wings also has a minority investment in Los Angeles–based PizzaRev, a growing 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.
