Love Taco Bell but wish there were more options for fast food, Mexican-inspired dining? Keep an eye out for these beloved chain restaurants popping up in your neck of the woods soon.
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00:00Love Taco Bell but wish there were more options for fast food, Mexican-inspired dining? Keep an
00:06eye out for these beloved chain restaurants popping up in your neck of the woods soon.
00:11This fast-growing taco joint got its start as a taco truck in Austin, Texas, in 2006. Today,
00:17there are over 125 locations in over a quarter of the states in the country,
00:23with plans to expand further. Torchy's stands out from the competition with its fun taco
00:28combinations and lighthearted brand. The not-so-secret secret menu offers items such
00:33as Green Chili Pork Missionary Style, made with slow-roasted pork carnitas, green chilies,
00:40pickled onions, guacamole, jack cheese, and cilantro, topped with chipotle sauce.
00:46All of this is placed in a crispy corn tortilla inside of a soft flour tortilla. In 2023,
00:52Torchy's had over 10 percent growth, with plans to continue its expansion at a consistent pace.
00:58CEO Mike Ripka told Nation's Restaurant News the company plans a 10 to 15 percent
01:04annual growth rate, targeting large metro areas like Washington, D.C. Ripka said,
01:10"'I think any faster than that and you're going to get yourself in trouble.
01:13You can't grow past your people. So we will really make sure, from a bench perspective,
01:18we focus a lot of time and energy making sure who our talent is to support that growth.'"
01:24My name's Michael Ripka. I started Torchy's and I wanted to give you guys a little bit of love."
01:30Once a favorite of students around Ohio State University,
01:34Condado Tacos has more recently been steadily making its way across the country.
01:38The restaurant opened its first location in 2014, in Columbus near the Ohio State University
01:44campus. It proved to be very popular and so one decade later, the company has grown to around
01:5050 locations across 10 states, with serious plans in place to continue that expansion.
01:56USA Today named it the fourth-best cheap eats in the country, and the company was listed as one of
02:02the fastest-growing private restaurant companies by Inc. 5000. Condado Tacos grew by 25 percent
02:09in 2023 by opening 10 new restaurants. The company has plans to continue its growth by
02:15opening 12 new locations every year. Condado Tacos is known for its colorful
02:20atmosphere and preservative-free fresh tacos. The restaurant offers a variety of burritos,
02:25tacos, taco bowls, and vegan options, such as the Baja Shrimp Taco and Fire Roasted Street Bowl.
02:32The restaurant recently named Derek Pratt as its new CEO. Pratt was the chief operating
02:37officer of Portillo's, another quickly growing fast-casual restaurant chain.
02:42Chairman John G. Trajano explained in a statement,
02:46Condado Tacos has doubled over the last three years to 50 locations across 10 states and 18
02:52markets to date, and we are thrilled to have Derek lead the company through its next phase of growth.
02:58For many years, Bubba Coo's Burritos has been a popular Mexican joint along the Jersey shore,
03:04known for its casual surfer vibes. The first Bubba Coo's opened in Point Pleasant,
03:09New Jersey in 2008. Since then, Bubba Coo's has opened over 100 locations and can currently be
03:15found in 15 states. In 2023 alone, Bubba Coo's has opened 15 new restaurants, a 14.9 percent
03:23increase. Co-founder Paul Altero told Nation's Restaurant News that the company plans on opening
03:3013 more restaurants in 2024. Only 12 locations are company-owned, with the rest franchised.
03:36Bubba Coo's began in the Northeast and Florida, but has been expanding into the Midwest,
03:41opening several locations in Ohio. Bubba Coo's stands out from the crowd with its unique menu
03:46combinations, including the Sweet Chili Pineapple Shrimp Burrito. There are plenty of healthy
03:51options, including lifestyle bowls and vegan entrees. The menu also has its share of uncommon
03:57desserts, such as Boardwalk Cookies, which are hand-breaded, deep-fried Oreos topped with powdered
04:03sugar. Fajita Pete's was once only known to Texans, but today it's working to make its mark on the
04:10rest of the country. The company opened its first restaurant in Houston in 2008, focusing on Tex-Mex
04:16fajitas. Shortly after that debut, however, the area was hit with a major hurricane. While many
04:22nearby businesses and homes lost power, Fajita Pete's kept going and was able to serve up fresh
04:28fajitas to the community in the aftermath of the storm. Although the original restaurant was full
04:33service, the concept changed by 2015. By that point, Fajita Pete's had scaled down its menu
04:40and had begun to focus on catering and delivery. The company has since opened a franchised restaurant
04:45near Chicago and is currently in five states. Franchising has fueled much of Fajita Pete's
04:50growth. As founder Pedro Pete Moura told El Restaurante,
04:55"...our goal is to have growth from within our current franchises so that we can scale in an
05:00efficient manner." Fajita Pete's offers fajita platters with protein options, such as chicken
05:05breast, pulled pork, beef, and shrimp. The fajitas come with the works, which includes classic,
05:11Tex-Mex-style toppings, such as lettuce, beans, salsa, cheese, and guacamole. The tortillas are
05:17handmade, the guacamole is fresh, and the sides are made from scratch. This fast-casual Mexican
05:24restaurant began in Laredo, Texas, way back in 1987. Offering authentic Mexican food to the
05:30hungry diners of South Texas, Taco Palenque has seen serious recent growth. For instance,
05:36it grew by just over 25 percent in 2023. Today, you still won't find a Taco Palenque outside of
05:44Texas, but that could be changing very soon, according to official press releases.
05:49Taco Palenque's menu is filled with authentic Mexican flavors, such as soft and crispy tacos
05:55stuffed with pork al pastor, marinated chicken breast, chopped sirloin, and refried beans.
06:01The restaurant also serves other authentic Mexican dishes, such as enchiladas, flautas,
06:07burritos, and enmoladas, a chicken mole enchilada from Central Mexico.
06:12If you don't live in South Texas and you can't wait for a Taco Palenque to open near you,
06:17you are in luck. Taco Palenque has partnered with Gold Belly to ship Taco Palenque food kits
06:22nationwide. Chewy's began in 1982 in Austin, Texas. Founders Mike Young and John Zapp opened
06:31the Tex-Mex full-service restaurant with the goal of offering freshly made, authentic Tex-Mex in a
06:36funky atmosphere. Chewy's decor is an eclectic mix of special pieces, and no two restaurants are the
06:42same. For nearly 20 years, Chewy's remained a Texas-only establishment, offering fresh
06:48Tex-Mex dishes, such as fajitas marinated in an old South Texas family recipe. In 2009,
06:55Chewy's decided to move beyond Texas and opened its first location outside of the state,
07:00in Nashville. Today, Chewy's has over 100 restaurants in 15 states, but we predict
07:06you're about to see a lot more in the near future. For now, if you're craving Chewy's
07:10and there just isn't a location nearby, you can whip up a copycat Chewy's creamy
07:15jalapeno dip recipe fairly easily.
07:19"'Remember, our stuff doesn't come out of a bag, so it's gonna be different every day."
07:22The first Fuzzy's Taco Shop was founded by Paul Willis in 2001 near the campus of Texas
07:28Christian University. Known for its large menu, moderate prices, and full bar,
07:32Willis sold the successful restaurant two years later to Alan and Chuck Bush.
07:37The duo grew the single restaurant into a chain spanning 18 states.
07:41In 2022, Dine Brands acquired Fuzzy's, with plans to grow the chain in 2025.
07:47According to Nation's Restaurant News, the company is on the search for multi-unit franchisees,
07:53signing a 20-unit deal in Nevada and a 40-unit deal in Arizona and Texas.
07:58Some of Fuzzy's most notable features are its dog-friendly patios,
08:02seasonal items, and expansive menu. They offer burritos, tacos, bowls, nachos, quesadillas,
08:09salads, and breakfast items. Fuzzy's doesn't only offer a wide variety of foods,
08:14but has a full bar as well, with margaritas and cocktails.
08:18"'You tacos get any more kick butt than this?"
08:21Velvet Taco got its start in Dallas in 2011. In a little over 10 years,
08:26the company has grown to nearly 50 restaurants in seven states.
08:30While most of its locations are in Texas, Velvet Taco has stores as far-flung as Miami and Chicago.
08:36But CEO Clay Dover told Nation's Restaurant News the company has the infrastructure to expand
08:42to 200 locations by 2030. One strategy is to build restaurants and airports.
08:48Velvet Taco stands out from the crowd by offering made-from-scratch food,
08:52including the house-brined pickles and sauces. The tacos draw on a unique blend of flavors,
08:58combining Mexican dishes with Indian and Asian inspiration, such as spicy tikka chicken.
09:04The tikka chicken comes served with something you won't often see at a taco joint — buttered
09:09cilantro basmati rice. Another option is the sweet chili shrimp, made with fried shrimp
09:14and served with a kimchi slaw. Another option is the Southern-style chicken and waffle taco.
09:21The first Cercheros opened in Douglas, Georgia, in 2007. This Tex-Mex restaurant is known for
09:27its customizable food, with generous topping choices. Highlights on the menu include burrito
09:33bowls, grilled burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. But it's the fresh topping choices that stand out.
09:39Customers can choose from items such as black olives, freshly squeezed lime,
09:43mushrooms, corn salsa, or Southwestern vinaigrette. In 2017, the company began franchising,
09:50a move that saw the restaurant really take off. The company currently has over 30 restaurants
09:55in Georgia and Florida, and opened three new restaurants in the last quarter of 2023.
10:01What's more, Cercheros has signed deals to expand into other states,
10:06including seven units in Nashville and four in South Carolina. That likely won't be all,
10:11as the company plans to open 100 restaurants in the next five years.
10:16You may not have heard of Burrito Bar yet, but we think that will change.
10:20Burrito Bar is a Canadian company with big plans to expand into the U.S. market,
10:25with 750 units. Burrito Bar, known as Bar Burrito in Canada, launched in 2005 in Toronto,
10:32and has over 300 locations around Canada today. The company has recently announced a 93-unit
10:38franchise deal in New Jersey, in addition to franchise deals already in 10 states.
10:44I'm hungry. Let's get a taco."
10:46Burrito Bar serves Tex-Mex burritos and burrito bowls, with protein choices that include crunchy
10:52fish, barbacoa, jerk chicken, and bing-bang shrimp. Customers can choose their rice,
10:57choice of protein, and toppings. The fast-casual restaurant offers a wide choice of sauces as well,
11:03including chipotle barbecue, jalapeno eclipse, and spicy buffalo.
11:08Unless you live in Texas, you probably haven't come across a taco cabana.
11:13At least, you haven't yet. The San Antonio-based fast-casual Mexican restaurant has over 140
11:19locations in Texas, with plans to bring that number to 1,000 restaurants around the country.
11:24Taco Cabana has been around since the 1970s, when the first location opened in San Antonio.
11:30It served Mexican-inspired fast food at a time when there weren't many such chains in the U.S.
11:36Taco Cabana has remained a staple in Texas, and today serves street tacos,
11:41breakfast burritos, quesadillas, enchilada platters, and much more.
11:45In 2021, Taco Cabana was acquired by Yaw Dove Enterprises for $85 million. Yaw Dove oversees
11:53major chains including Jack in the Box, Denny's, and TGI Fridays. Yaw Dove plans to streamline the
11:59restaurants with upgraded drive-thrus and an easier ordering process for takeout customers.
12:06District Taco offers a Yucatan-style fast-casual menu with fresh ingredients. People living in
12:12the Mid-Atlantic region may be the only ones familiar with this taco joint,
12:17but that likely won't last for much longer. From its start as a food truck in 2009,
12:22District Taco has expanded to nearly 20 locations in Washington, D.C., Virginia,
12:27Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In 2023, the company signed franchise deals
12:33to bring District Taco to Florida and add locations in Virginia. The company's goals
12:38include growing to 80 locations by 2027 by opening 10 to 15 locations per year.
12:45District Taco has a simple menu where customers can choose their items — burritos, tacos,
12:50etc. — pick their protein, and add toppings and salsa. The food is made in-house using
12:56fresh ingredients with even the chips fried on site. The fresh, whole food — including
13:01vegan and vegetarian options — appeals to health-conscious customers, while the Yucatan-style
13:07dining provides a difference from the usual Tex-Mex or Mexican fast-casual options.