Top 10 Reasons to Own a TacoTime Franchise

The premier Mexican food franchise opportunity is seeking savvy entrepreneurs who are passionate about bringing the iconic TacoTime experience to their communities

TacoTime® has grown into a beloved treasure with a wildly enthusiastic customer base since our first location opened in Eugene, Oregon, in 1960. Now with locations in the U.S. and Canada, our secret is serving up Mexican food made with only the freshest ingredients — that’s just as important to us as it is to our brand’s customers. Demand for high-quality, affordable Mexican food is reaching new heights, so TacoTime is seeking savvy entrepreneurs to bring our experienced business model to communities all over the country. Because our taco franchise is so well thought out and experienced, we have all of the tools to ensure that you will be successful with a TacoTime franchise.

Here are the top 10 reasons why TacoTime Mexican franchise is a best-bet investment:

1. TacoTime has captured the hearts of our wildly enthusiastic customers

Of the more than 54,000 Mexican food restaurants in America, according to CHD Experts™, TacoTime is a truly special brand. TacoTime has over a 60-year track record of serving the freshest, highest-quality Mexican food at a price that won’t break our customers’ piggy banks. Our customers can taste the difference, and when customers love the product, they crave it more and more.

“In offering the best-tasting food for the best prices, it is very easy to win new customers,” says Denise Staley, owner of several TacoTime franchise restaurants in Wyoming. “What makes TacoTime unique is how loyal our customers are. We have folks that come to our restaurants multiple times over the course of the week. When a college student comes home, they often stop at one of my restaurants before seeing Mom and Dad. What other brand can say that about their customers? TacoTime is an experience that people really crave to have again and again.”

2. Our unique menu keeps our customers excited to come back

In the Mexican QSR franchise space, TacoTime has an incredible assortment of customizable tacos, burritos, salads, nachos and quesadillas. TacoTime has been incredibly inventive, incorporating a playful sensibility into traditional Mexican fare. Our wildly popular Mexi-Fries are our take on tater tots, which can be dunked into one or all of our proprietary salsas or smothered with melted cheese. Our Crisp Burritos, all of which are rolled by hand, come in three varieties and pack in a lot of flavor between the crunch of a fried tortilla shell. TacoTime goes further than other brands — offering vegetarian options and an ever-changing array of limited-time and seasonal offerings that keep our customers excited to come back.

“The key difference with TacoTime is our taste profile,” says Kevin Gingrich owner of several TacoTime franchise locations in Utah. “It tastes good because of the seasonings that we have, which are proprietary spice blends created for TacoTime. But our bigger unique factor is how many items we make in-house. From our hand-rolled Crisp Burritos, to making the taco shells — which most people don’t even know that we do — to the array of other items that are made in-house, we do it all from scratch. We make our own salsas and cook our own taco meat every two hours. The norm in the QSR space is where brands bring in products through the back door, maybe reheat it or just pour it out of a bag. We don’t do that. We cook it in-house, and that’s why it tastes better.”

3. Low initial investment with high potential returns

With the initial investment estimate for a traditional TacoTime restaurant ranging between $331,150 – $762,800, TacoTime is a low-cost investment opportunity, especially when compared to other Mexican food franchise opportunities. Because our buildout costs are substantially lower than other brands in the Mexican QSR space, TacoTime offers a quicker ramp up time to allow for a potentially faster return on investment. Our proven business model is ideal for entrepreneurs who are passionate about bringing a premier Mexican food franchise to their communities. The franchise fee for your first traditional TacoTime franchise is $30,000, and the franchise fee for multiple units may be discounted if certain conditions are met.

4. Kahala Brands helps make TacoTime an easy-to-run business

TacoTime is led by the vision of industry-leading parent company Kahala Brands, one of the fastest-growing franchise companies in the world. With a large selection of high-quality, quick-service restaurant brands, Kahala is dedicated to developing business models while providing you with tools and support.

Kahala achieves synergies and cost savings for the franchise community by bundling “back of the house” functions, where the entire franchise community benefits from shared teams in purchasing, finance, real estate, business training and IT to capitalize on economies of scale. Each brand, however, operates independently when it comes to developing, operating and marketing the individual concepts. A brand president is at the heart of the business and is equipped with a team of passionate sales, marketing and operations talent to support TacoTime and its franchisees. This type of support is unique in the franchise industry and sets Kahala apart from its competitors.

5. TacoTime has plenty of prime locations available in their taco franchise business model

For years, TacoTime was known only to our devoted customers in the Pacific Northwest — now TacoTime is ready for the spotlight. With the support of franchising giant Kahala Brands behind us, TacoTime is ready to capture the heart of Americans everywhere. TacoTime is actively seeking savvy entrepreneurs who are passionate about bringing high-quality, great-tasting Mexican food to their communities.

“TacoTime is a brand with franchise owners who have been operating great businesses for 20, 30 and even 40 years,” says John Wuycheck, Senior Vice President of Kahala Brands. “Our average unit sales revenue is over $1 million (for the top 20% of our traditional stores, according to Item 19 of our FDD); and while that is a terrific number, it is the result of two things: 1) we have been extremely strategic about where we place new TacoTime locations; and 2) we franchise with entrepreneurs who are passionate about the food, their customers and their staff. We only open restaurants in locations that have the population density to support a great business; and furthermore, TacoTime is an easy-to-run business that requires a good work ethic and the discipline to follow our experienced business model.”

6. TacoTime franchise owners have been operating amazing businesses for generations

TacoTime is fortunate to have enthusiastic, passionate and driven franchise owners. With locations in the United States and Canada, our franchise network is rapidly expanding. Our franchise owners come from a wide variety of backgrounds, professional histories and cultures, and many have been with us for several decades and multiple generations. Their decision to go into business for themselves, combined with their passion for TacoTime’s delicious food and a willingness to provide exceptional service to their customers, has helped make TacoTime great since we served our first taco over 60 years ago.

For Denise Staley, who co-owns several TacoTime franchise restaurants in Wyoming, the premier Mexican franchise has given her family a chance at building a future of their own making. She and her husband bought their first location from her in-laws several years ago.

“Taking the bull by the horns and buying our first TacoTime restaurant is a decision I would make again,” Denise says. “This is a brand that truly listens to their franchise owners. We have input on nearly everything — from national marketing strategies to new menu items. The camaraderie we have with other franchise owners is much different than what I have heard from my friends in other franchise systems. We tackle everything together.”

7. TacoTime franchises make food that is fresh and delicious

Since our founding in 1960, TacoTime has never wavered on our promise to our customers: Taco Time believes fresh, real ingredients make better food. It’s the difference you can taste.

This belief is at the heart of our core values, and it is central to our longevity and rapid ascension as a premier Mexican franchise opportunity in the United States. Our customers have numerous choices for Mexican food, yet they choose TacoTime because of our tireless commitment to producing food prepared in-house with only the freshest ingredients — in many cases, by hand and from scratch. This commitment has paid off, as TacoTime boasts average unit sales revenue of well over $1 million(for the top 10% of our traditional stores, according to Item 19 of our FDD), making it clear that our customers are voting with their wallets.

8. Mexican QSR is hot and rapidly growing

The demand for fast-casual Mexican food is on the rise. IBISWorld® reports that Mexican restaurants generate nearly $40 billion in annual sales¹. Media mentions reflect this huge market — a Google search of “Mexican QSR” yields numerous articles with titles such as, “For American Restaurant Chains, The Future is Mexican,” published by Bloomberg®², and “Mexican Food Ranks as Top 10 Food of the Decade,” published by Univision®³. An article titled “Mexican Food Franchises Show Strong Popularity Growth,” published by Franchising.com, brilliantly encapsulates the ubiquity of Mexican food⁴.

“Americans have come a long way from Taco Bell®, embracing Mexican food more and more each year, in all its flavors and variations,” the article states. “Add to that the nation’s rapidly expanding population from south of the border, and Mexican food is here to stay — whether fast food, quick-serve restaurants (QSR), fast-casual, or casual — opening up windows of opportunity franchisors and franchisees can’t leap through fast enough. And, if you like, you can even eat your way through your day ordering only Mexican food.”

9. Our proven leadership team is experienced and passionate about the brand

One of the most unique aspects of franchising with TacoTime is our diverse leadership team composed of individuals with both vast experience in franchising and a passion for the brand. Our Senior Vice President of Development, John Wuycheck, is a distinguished franchising professional who has worked for a wide variety of successful and nationally-recognized franchise brands, including HomeSmart® International, Edible Arrangements® and Seattle’s Best Coffee®. Wuycheck works hand-in-hand with each franchise business owner to design concepts, strategies and processes to build amazing franchise locations

“I’ve been working with TacoTime for almost a decade,” John says. “I’ve believe in this brand because of our food. It tasted great when I first had it years ago, and it still tastes great today. Now as TacoTime moves forward, we want to find entrepreneurs who not only love the food and are passionate about the food, but who also have the desire to grow in their communities. Now is a great time to become a TacoTime franchise owner.”

10. TacoTime offers exceptional and ongoing support

TacoTime has developed an intensive training platform that includes how to manage every aspect of your business, including the most important part: correctly preparing and serving the TacoTime products to your customers. We also train you on how to manage your inventory, operate your point-of-sale system and grow your business. We provide continual reviews to help you meet financial and performance goals and ongoing coaching to help you market your business to your community.

While you do not need restaurant experience to franchise with TacoTime, we recommend that you have a proven track record of managerial experience, an entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to follow our proven business model as you bring the premier Mexican QSR experience to your community.

Notes:

“Mexican Restaurants in the US: Market Research Report,” April 2015, http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/mexican-restaurants.html

Venessa Wong, “For American Restaurant Chains, the Future Is Mexican,” Bloomberg, October 28, 2013, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-10-28/for-american-restaurant-chains-the-future-is-mexican

Peter Filiaci, “Mexican Food Ranks as Top 10 Food of the Decade,” Univision, December 15, 2014, http://corporate.univision.com/ 2014/12/mexican-food-ranks-as-top-10-food-of-the-decade/

“Mexican Food Franchises Show Strong Popularity Growth,” Franchising.com, http://www.franchising.com/articles/mexican_food_franchises_show_strong_popularity_growth.html