Efforts to increase the number of Taco John’s restaurants across the country are gaining momentum with the West-Mex chain’s launch of a new incentive plan. Named “Let’s Go,” the program will deliver up to $40,000 in savings through reduced franchise fees, money for point-of-sale equipment, and a corporate contribution toward grand opening advertising.
"We want to reward our existing franchisees for their loyalty to the Taco John’s brand and provide a sound financial incentive for new franchisees to enter our system," says Dan James, chief development officer for Taco John’s. “The response has been tremendous. Our current franchisees are stepping up for new locations, and new franchisees appreciate that we are helping to offset their initial development costs.”
The company is rolling out its incentive program in the 25 states that already have Taco John’s restaurants as well as 13 states that currently don’t. The new areas targeted for franchise development include Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“We benchmarked with other [quick-service] concepts to see what else is being offered. Most only provide a modest incentive in one area, but we have a comprehensive program that provides a three-pronged approach,” says Van J. Ingram, vice president for franchise development. “We need early adopters and pioneers to grow our brand. We’ve instituted this incentive to help give them a head start on a new unit.”
The Let’s Go incentive program offers $10,000 reduction in the initial franchise fee, $25,000 towards QuikServe POS equipment, and $5,000 towards approved grand opening advertising.
Franchisees will need to sign up and make a down payment by December 31 of 2014. Those looking to complete and open a new restaurant under the Let’s Go program will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and the number of units a franchisee is developing will be taken into account.
