Master Developer Mitra Garschi of Tako, Inc. announced Friday that Northern California plans to have 10 Taco Del Mar restaurants up and running within the next two years. The latest in a string of activity is the region's first Taco Del Mar opening July 15 in Redding and a seven-store franchise contract led by Operations Manager Jeffrey Anderson of Jland, Inc.

"Bringing Taco Del Mar into the untapped Northern California marketplace as well as the strong economic viability of the franchise made for some very realistic and obvious choices," Anderson says.

The Northern California development region of Taco Del Mar spans from Marin County to the California-Oregon border, and east to Chico. Garschi said she anticipates opening about 20 Taco Del Mar restaurants by 2010. Taco Del Mar offers comparatively low start-up costs for franchisees (roughly $115,000 to $244,000 per store build out); each has a "kitchen-less kitchen," similar to Subway, which keeps equipment investment and labor costs relatively low, she added.

Taco Del Mar was named one of Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 in January and is found throughout the Western United States and British Columbia with 150 locations and growing.