Mike’s Red Tacos Plans to Open Over 200 U.S. Locations
The popular taco brand Mike’s Red Tacos intends to launch more than 200 new locations across the United States. The first phase of this national expansion is slated to begin before the end of the year.
- The San Diego-based beef birria taco brand was founded in 2021 as a food truck by Michael Touma. It currently has two locations in San Diego, with a third opening soon, and another planned for Pasadena this spring. - The national expansion is being driven by a new franchising program, with multi-unit deals already signed for markets in states including California, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, and Virginia. - The leadership team includes newly-named company president Vincent Montanelli, who previously spent nearly 20 years in leadership at Wetzel's Pretzels. - Early-stage investors and advisors include Bill Phelps, who led Dave's Hot Chicken's growth as CEO, and Andrew Feghali, the first franchisee of Dave's Hot Chicken. Their investment firm, Four Wall Partners, aims to replicate the growth strategy used for Dave's Hot Chicken. - The brand specializes in slow-cooked beef birria, served in tacos with a side of consomé for dipping. Its menu also features items like the "Crunchstack," birria ramen, and loaded nachos. - Mike's Red Tacos gained national recognition in 2023 when it was named one of Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants in the United States. - The first franchised locations are expected to open by the end of 2026. A new corporate-run restaurant in Pasadena, set to open in the spring, will also function as a training center for the brand. - The growth of birria on U.S. menus is a key market trend supporting the expansion; the dish is projected to be on over 5% of menus by 2028, a significant increase from 0.5% in 2020.
