Talkin’ Tacos, a food truck turned fast-casual Mexican eatery based in South Florida, announced its expansion of the popular concept’s footprint throughout the Southeast. The brand has signed multi-unit franchise deals in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville with additional locations opening in New York. Two additional South Florida corporate locations are set to open in Coral Springs later this month and Palm Beach County in late spring.
The new locations come during a period of growth for Talkin’ Tacos- all within a span of three years. Four out of the six markets are franchisee-owned, which speaks to the flexible footprints, high-quality ingredients, and a special focus on speed of service without compromising taste or experience.
“We are thrilled to have an amazing network of loyal franchise partners committed to expanding our footprint across the nation to bring our Instagram-worthy menu to their cities,” says Mohammad Farraj, co-founder of Talkin’ Tacos. “There’s a growing desire for craveable, made-to-order, innovative Mexican in the U.S. and we’re confident that by leveraging our brand experience combined with our franchisee’s deep ties to their local communities, is a recipe for success.”
Talkin’ Tacos is the brainchild of two South Florida entrepreneurs and childhood best friends, Mohammad Farraj and Omar Al-Massalkhi. The concept started out as a food truck during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. As their brand and food truck’s popularity quickly grew, the never-ending lines prompted their expansion into brick-and-mortar locations in Miramar, FL, and the Brickell and Wynwood neighborhoods in Miami.
Over the course of the past three year, Talkin’ Tacos has seen extreme success in the brand’s ability to deliver industry-leading profitability, driven by an impeccable standard of service. The brand’s technology features self-serving kiosks where guests can place their orders efficiently, eliminating the cashier position and allowing faster speed-of-service. The restaurant is also fully integrated with the Toast point-of-sale and management system that streamlines operations and creates a seamless guest experience both online and for the in-restaurant ordering platform.
“Every city needs a Talkin’ Tacos and we look forward to our continued expansion with our incredible franchisees,” says Omar Al-Massalkhi, co-founder of Talkin’ Tacos. “With the combination of our in-house delivery, unique made-to-order offerings and the ability to do so without sacrificing wait times, which is a huge advantage for us.”
The menu is chef-driven with core items for easy operations, and each location has the option of creating unique specials. It features an array of guest-favorite entrees such as Birria Tacos, Birria Ramen and Birria Pizza along with sides like Street Corn in a Cup. A hallmark of the menu is the beef birria which is braised each day for 12 hours before completing the cooking process. A Talkin’ Tacos meal is capped off with desserts like Cookies and Cream and Dulce de Leche Churros, Tajin & Chamoy gummies and homemade specialty beverages including lemonades, horchatas and mangonadas.
