Taco John’s has finalized a multi-year 20-store deal for New York City and portions of the Northeast. The agreement includes an option for 15 more locations in the region. In the same week, the Mexican quick-serve chain has also inked another four-year, 20-store deal for Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, with an option for 32 more locations.
Nashville-based Excellent Taco LLC will be expanding the brand in Nashville and Chattanooga. Principals Richard Reeves and Lawrence Lavigne are experienced multiunit foodservice operators whose backgrounds include Jet’s Pizza and World of Beer franchises, among others. The New York franchisees are current multiunit foodservice operators with extensive experience developing in the New York market.
“We are thrilled that franchise owners of this caliber will introduce our legacy brand to new markets around the country,” says Jeff Linville, president and CEO of Taco John’s. “They both recognize the growth potential of the Mexican [quick-service] category and the 46 year history of success Taco John’s franchisees have experienced. It’s exciting to us that sophisticated, multi-branded franchisees are discovering our value and are participating at historic levels.”
The two new deals will increase the size of the Taco John’s brand by nearly 10 percent. The growth is part of the chain’s plan to expand nationwide with a focus on regions east of the Mississippi River, where there’s only one national competitor in the high-demand and fast-growing Mexican quick-service category.
