Mike’s Red Tacos, the San Diego-born birria chain, has signed a 36-unit development agreement to bring its tacos, consomme and queso birria to the Tampa and Orlando areas as well as Florida’s East Coast. The deal pairs the fast-growing taco concept with Tampa-based Built Different Brands, a multi-brand restaurant franchise operator, to build out dozens of new locations across the state.
According to Patch, the agreement calls for 36 Mike’s Red Tacos restaurants to open across the Tampa and Orlando markets and Florida’s East Coast, with the first restaurant under the deal expected to open in 2027. Built Different Brands is led by CEO Kal Gullapalli and operates more than 80 restaurants under brands including Dave’s Hot Chicken, Marco’s Pizza and PopUp Bagels, per the same report. As Fast Casual notes, Mike’s Red Tacos is based in San Diego and is known for its birria-centric menu.
Mike’s Red Tacos president Vincent Montanelli said Built Different Brands’ restaurant operations experience made it a strong partner for the Florida push, according to Patch’s report. The company has said it seeks experienced franchisees and restaurant operators with strong business backgrounds and the ability to scale multiple locations, a standard the Built Different Brands team was described as meeting given its track record running large restaurant portfolios.
From Food Truck to National Franchise Push
Mike’s Red Tacos began as a food truck in 2021 before opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in August 2022, Patch reported. Sourcing on the brand’s exact founding date varies: restaurantbusinessonline.com has reported the chain was founded in San Diego in 2021, while franchisetimes.com has reported it was founded in 2020 and began franchising earlier that year. Vincent Montanelli is president and COO of the company, according to Restaurant Business Online…