SEATTLE—February 14, 2006—In a place like the deep South, food is not a warm-up act, it’s the main event. To that end, two lifelong friends and Gulf Coast natives are introducing Taco Del Mar’s trademark “mondo burritos and rippin’ tacos” to the region, with plans to open more than 70 Taco Del Mar fast casual ‘Fresh-Mex’ restaurants within the next seven years across four states, from Louisiana to the Florida panhandle.
The Baja-inspired quick serve restaurant’s (QSR) offerings include 24-ounce mondo chicken, beef, and pork burritos and fish or shrimp tacos as their signature items as well as kid’s meals, salads, vegetarian and vegan meals. Store interiors are thematically ‘Baja’ with surf murals, thatched palapa umbrellas, sailfish, and long board tabletops.
“Core retail trade areas such as Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Jackson, and Mobile are integral parts of our development strategy,” says Vosloh.
Expect the first Taco Del Mar east of the Mississippi River to open this spring in Flowood, Mississippi, followed by stores in Baton Rouge, Natchez, Biloxi, and Hattiesburg this summer and fall, respectively. Beachhead Partners will handle franchising for the multi-state southern region and is currently soliciting franchisee candidates interested in owning their own franchise. It will also sell area agreements on a limited basis for qualified candidates.
“What excites me most is helping hard-working folks just like us realize their financial and personal goals by owning their own businesses,” said Vosloh. “I personally know several multi-store owners within the system today who had little or no QSR experience, and today they manage wildly successful enterprises.”
This duo considers their development a homecoming of sorts. These lifelong friends attended grade school between Baton Rouge and Jackson; both graduated from LSU and in their professional careers, lived and traveled extensively in Europe, Japan, and Russia. Vosloh urged Redlich to come to Seattle in early 2005 (where Vosloh then resided) to experience Taco Del Mar firsthand and consider it as a development venture.
“I was blown away by Taco Del Mar; the food was uniquely fresh, fast, and very delicious, and I think I ate everything on the menu in three days doing market research,” Redlich said. “The brand will fit right in with our territory’s proximity to the Gulf Coast.”
Redlich credits the restaurant chain’s success to CEO and co-founder James Schmidt and his assembly of a talented team. He said the attitude and culture of the company is refreshingly upbeat, passionate and justifiably confident. “Yet, they still maintain their humble, surf-style roots,” he said.
Vosloh notes the QSR fresh-Mex segment is a consumer favorite growing rapidly across the country. “Think of the burrito as the next burger, only healthier, plus it’s also a relatively unsaturated concept along the Gulf Coast, with the exception of a few local and regional chains---none of which completely embrace Taco Del Mar’s passionate commitment to friendly customer service,” Vosloh said. “I’ve worked in our stores in the Northwest, and you’d be amazed by the loyalty of its customer base. That just doesn’t happen on its own.”
From an operational standpoint, Redlich notes operational similarities to the Subway model and a substantially lower investment than other super-regional restaurants in the quick serve Mexican segment. Taco Del Mar has nearly 200 locations across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico and was named one of Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 last year. The company opened 75 restaurants in 2005 across the Western United States and British Columbia and is slated to double that in 2006.
For more information on the great food inspired by the laid back beach shacks serving mondo burritos and rippin' tacos, contact Beachhead Partners LLC at 206-779-0216. Complete menu, nutritional and company information are online at www.tacodelmar.com.
