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Mike’s Red Tacos is a fast-casual Mexican food franchise known for its bold birria tacos and creative, crave-driven menu. The brand was founded in 2021 in San Diego, California by entrepreneur Mike Touma, starting as a neighborhood food truck in the Bay Park area.
Its slow-simmered birria and signature red-dipped tortillas quickly gained a loyal following, leading to the opening of multiple brick-and-mortar locations. The concept centers on authentic flavors paired with a modern, social-media-friendly presentation.
Mike’s Red Tacos is headquartered in Pasadena, California and operates through Mike’s Red Tacos Franchise Co, LLC. The company began franchising in 2025, responding to strong customer demand and rapid brand recognition in Southern California.
The menu focuses on birria-based items such as tacos, quesadillas, burritos, mulitas, birria ramen, and loaded fries, all built around a streamlined kitchen process. This simplicity helps franchisees manage labor and food costs while delivering a highly repeatable customer experience.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
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Mike’s Red Tacos offers a comprehensive and multi-phase training program to prepare franchisees for successful restaurant operation. The key components of this training are:
Mike’s Red Tacos provides franchisees with a defined territory that may include a geographic radius or specifically described area as outlined in the franchise agreement.
However, the franchise does not guarantee exclusive territorial rights. Even within an assigned territory, the franchisor retains broad rights to open company-owned restaurants, authorize others to operate Mike’s Red Tacos outlets, or sell through other channels.
In some cases, a franchisee may receive a limited Area of Protection, but this protection does not apply to non-traditional venues such as airports or malls, nor does it restrict the franchisor from operating under different brand names within the area.
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Taco Rico / Taco Works is a Tex-Mex restaurant franchise offering tacos, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas, salads, and salsa bars, serving families and office crowds, and known for quick counter service, complimentary chips, and approachable, value-focused neighborhood locations.
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Mike's Red Tacos is a fast-casual Mexican franchise offering birria tacos, quesadillas, and shareable plates, serving flavor-driven diners and late-night crowds, and known for richly stewed meats, vibrant red tortillas, lively branding, and roots in San Diego’s taco culture.
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Mucho Burrito is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchise offering burritos, bowls, tacos, and catering, serving lunch and dinner guests seeking bold flavors, and known for fresh-prepared ingredients, customizable entrees, and a contemporary brand backed by strong training and support.
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District Taco is a fast-casual Mexican franchise offering made-to-order tacos, bowls and margaritas, serving lunch and dinner crowds, and known for fresh ingredients, bold regional flavors and franchise growth momentum.
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Chronic Tacos is a fast-casual franchise offering customizable tacos, burritos, bowls, and Mexican favorites, serving lunch and late-night diners, and known for fresh ingredients, made-to-order prep, and a laid-back California vibe.
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Taco Cabana is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchise serving tacos, fajitas, and freshly prepared salsas in a relaxed, colorful setting.
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