Mike’s Red Tacos, a tiny San Diego birria upstart with just two shops, is suddenly lining up for a massive leap. Investors and restaurant veterans say more than 200 locations are already in development, a jump that could take the local favorite from food truck queues to a coast-to-coast franchise footprint.
In a Feb. 17 press release via PR Newswire, Mike’s Red Tacos announced a national franchising push and said it has development agreements for “more than 200” restaurants in markets including California, Michigan, Minnesota, New England, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Indiana and Illinois. The release also named Vincent Montanelli, a longtime Wetzel’s Pretzels executive, as company president. “With a team that has a proven track record in multi-unit franchising and restaurant leadership, we are set up to scale Mike’s Red Tacos,” Montanelli said in the statement.
SFGATE reported that the expansion is being bankrolled by Bill Phelps and Andrew Feghali of Four Wall Partners, the investors who helped scale Dave’s Hot Chicken. The outlet notes the group has brought in experienced multi-unit operators to jump-start growth and is planning a mix of franchised and corporate-run units.
Prototype, Timeline and Training
The company says it will invest in a corporate-run prototype in Pasadena this spring that will double as a brand training center, and founder Mike Touma is set to open his third San Diego location in March. Construction on the first wave of franchise restaurants is expected to begin in the coming months, with initial openings targeted by the end of 2026, according to the PR release…