Taco Tico facts for kids
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | Wichita, Kansas (1962) |
| Headquarters | Wichita, Kansas |
| Products | Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, Taco Burger, Nachos, Sanchos, Taco Salad, and Cinnamon Crustos |
Taco Tico is a popular chain of fast-food restaurants. It serves delicious Tex-Mex cuisine, which is a mix of Mexican and American flavors. The company started in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States.
Contents
The Story of Taco Tico
How It All Started
Taco Tico was founded by two brothers, Dan and Robin Foley. They first worked for their cousins, who owned another Mexican fast-food chain called Taco Grande. But in 1962, Dan and Robin decided to open their own restaurant. They started the very first Taco Tico in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas.
Growing the Business
Just five years later, in 1967, Taco Tico began to grow by allowing other people to open their own Taco Tico restaurants. This is called "franchising." By 1980, Taco Tico was very popular in its region.
Changes Over Time
In 1988, the Foley brothers sold Taco Tico to a new owner. This new owner changed the special recipe for the meat used in the tacos. This unique meat recipe was what gave Taco Tico tacos their special flavor. However, many customers did not like the new taste. Because of this, Taco Tico later went back to using its original, popular meat recipe.
Facing Challenges
Like many businesses, Taco Tico has faced some challenges. In 2013, some of its restaurants in Kansas had to close temporarily due to financial issues. However, these restaurants were able to reopen later that year after new agreements were made. A few other locations that were owned independently were not affected by these closures.
Taco Tico Today
After some of the Wichita-area restaurants closed in 2013, new owners stepped in. In 2014, one of the closed Wichita locations reopened. There were also plans to open more stores in Wichita. Another closed location in Topeka also reopened in 2014 under new ownership.
By November 2018, Taco Tico had several locations across Kansas. These included two stores in Wichita, and one store each in Arkansas City, Augusta, Derby, and Newton, Kansas. In 2019, another store opened in El Dorado, Kansas.
Today, Taco Tico continues to serve its Tex-Mex favorites. Many locations are now privately owned, meaning they are not part of the original franchise system. You can find these Taco Tico restaurants in places like Claremore, Oklahoma; El Dorado, Kansas; Derby, Kansas; Topeka, Kansas; Texarkana, Texas; Lexington, Kentucky; Duncan, Oklahoma; Mason City, Iowa; Fort Dodge, Iowa; and Kenner, Louisiana.
