Taco Casa was founded in August 20, 1974 by Rod Wilkins who has shown what passion and work ethics could bring. This Tuscaloosa’s most unique restaurant, Taco Casa, brought an entirely new concept to the restaurant industry and have not looked back ever since.
Taco Casa offers the finest and freshest ingredients prepared only after the customer orders. This is to ensure hot, fresh, delicious food that was always made to order. The very first Taco Casa location was known to have the coldest beer in town. It served a selection of beer all served in ice cold, frozen glass mugs. With that, Taco Casa quickly became a landmark and was where most of Tuscaloosa ate their first taco. The success of Taco Casa was a direct result of the hard work and long hours.
Over the next decades, Taco Casa locations grew to include: Northport, Skyland Boulevard, 15th Street, Birmingham, Tutweiler Hall, Homewood, Highway 82 West, Highway 69 South, and Rice Mine Road. With more stores, there was more of a demand to broaden the menu.
The original Taco Casa menu has also grown to include new items. The Chilada (Chili Salad), Chimalupa (Taco Salad), Messe Nachos, Casa Combos, and Chicken items were all welcomed additions to a menu that already was full of hometown favourites. There were some menu additions that were brief. These included: a yogurt bar, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, and Pepsi and Mountain Dew Freezes.
All through these years, this unique food restaurant has made an impression on such a large number of people that customers often ship burritos across country. The demand for Taco Casa in other areas is so large that the company receives weekly calls requesting franchise information.
In April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa was forever changed when an unbelievable F4 tornado tore a path of destruction through the heart of Tuscaloosa. Although the 15th Street location took a direct hit and was mostly destroyed, all of the employees in the store were completely unharmed.
However, Taco Casa became a beacon of renewal and hope when on October 17, 2011, within 173 days of the disaster, it was the first of the destroyed businesses to be rebuilt and reopened. For all residents of Tuscaloosa and former students of The University of Alabama, Taco Casa has solidified a place in their hearts as a landmark and a destination for quality food. Right from 1974, thousands of people have come and gone through the halls of the University of Alabama and the streets of Tuscaloosa, but what has remained constant is the great tasting tacos.
Financial Requirements of Opening a Taco Casa Franchise
- Investments: $615,000 – $2,127,000
- Franchise fee: $35,000
- Royalty fee: 7%
- Minimum Cash: $400,000
- Net Worth: $1,000,000
Steps on How to Buy a Taco Casa Franchise
Taco Casa is a well known food franchise selling high quality tacos and assorted products to cater to their ever growing customer base. With 40 years experience, an exceptional product and a well-known brand, Taco Casa has all the ingredients for a successful franchise. Here are five steps to get your Taco Casa franchise up and running.
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Reach Out to the Franchisor
You will want to get to know Taco Casa better, and the company will also want to know you better, to determine if this is the best fit. Not everyone is the perfect candidate for a Taco Casa Franchise, so these initial conversations are important.
During this time, you will also fill out a full application for pre-qualification. The company will carefully review your application, and from there the company will determine if they should proceed with the process.
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Request the FDD
After all the initial discussion, you can request the franchise disclosure document (FDD). This legal document breaks down the franchise opportunity and your role as a Taco Casa franchisee. After you must have read this document thoroughly and decide to proceed with the process, you will learn more about the company and actually meet the team behind Taco Casa.
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Get to Meet the Team
Once you have read the FDD, it is time to put some names to faces. The company will have one-on-one meetings with you and encourage you to reach out to current franchisees to get their advice on how to run a Taco Casa franchise.
You will also have the option to fly to the company’s headquarters and meet the team. Once you learn everything there is to know about the brand, you can sign the franchise agreement and become Taco Casa newest franchise owner.
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Secure Your Location
Have it in mind there are many potential locations for a Taco Casa franchise. You can decide to set up shop in a traditional location like a mall, or something non-traditional like an airport, military base, or theme park. Check out the available territories near you to help determine what location would be the best fit.
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Attend the Training
After you must have signed the franchise agreement and settled on a location, the company doesn’t just send you on your way without any assistance. First, they teach you how to start a Taco Casa franchise and run it successfully. From there, the company ensures you know the ins and outs of your new franchise.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about buying a Taco Casa franchise, it is a big step. Before you sign on the “dotted line,” you need to do your homework and due diligence. Taco Casa is a globally recognised and well established brand with a reputation for quality. Coupled with strong brand recognition, Taco Casa franchisees benefit from support, training and expert advice from a business with a proven franchise model that has been running successfully for over 30 years.