Franchise ownership is not for the cowardly | News

Everyone loves tacos, and in a city known for its excellent tacos, is there room for one more?

Yes, said John Ramsay, the franchise development manager for Texas-based Taco Cabana, a fast-casual food franchise.

The restaurant is considered a hybrid of a fast-food and a full-service restaurant.

“We have a broad menu and a variety of options,” Ramsay said. “Our customers actually see us as a full menu Mexican restaurant (but) we’re available in a fast, convenient format.”

Taco Cabana hasn’t landed in Tucson yet. Ramsay said Taco Cabana is different from other Mexican fast-casual places.

“There are really three things that make us differentiate ourselves,” he said. “No. 1 is food quality. No. 2 is convenience and No. 3 is value. It’s really a convenience that’s a big driver.”

Hand in hand with convenience is how the franchise packages its items. For example, “We sell a box at breakfast called ‘A Dozen Breakfast Taco Box.’” It works well, according to Ramsay, and is one of their best-selling items.

Taco Cabana is not an entryway franchise. They are looking for a person or groups of potential owners with fairly specific qualifications.

“Today’s marketplace is much more challenging than it used to be,” Ramsay said. “We’re really looking for a couple of key components. No. 1 is having experience in the restaurant business. Another is also having experience as a business owner and then another one is having experience in commercial development. 

“This is probably the most important quality the connection a person has to the community.”

They want people who have hired contractors, dealt with CPAs and lawyer, and have been through the permitting process. 

Ramsay said the initial franchise fee is $45,000.   

Taco Cabana

tacocabana.com/franchising.