Austin’s homegrown taco chain, Torchy’s Tacos, is closing several restaurants across multiple states as part of an early 2026 operational shakeup — including a restaurant here in Texas.
Torchy’s origins trace back to 2006 in Austin, when Mike Rypka founded the business as a food trailer concept. Since then, it’s grown to approximately 120 to 130 restaurants across 16 states.
Now, that footprint is waning as the business unveiled plans to close seven restaurants within Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Georgia and Texas, according to a report from Nation’s Restaurant News published on Tuesday, January 27. Those impacted restaurants will officially close on Tuesday, February 3, including:
- 2 restaurant closures in Columbus, Ohio
- 2 restaurant closures in the Orlando, Florida area
- 1 restaurant closure in Queen Creek, Arizona
- 1 restaurant closure on Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, Georgia
- 1 restaurant closure in Stafford, Texas
In a statement, a Torchy’s spokesperson confirmed the closures were at locations “that no longer align with our long-term vision.” When asked about any potential future restaurant closures in Texas, the spokesperson added there are no plans to close any additional locations in the Lone Star State…