Quick-service restaurant chain Taco John’s International Inc. plans to add 10 to 12 new restaurants in the Milwaukee area over the next three to five years.
Based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the company is planning expansions in several regions. Brooks Speirs, vice president of franchise development, said the expansion comes after the business spent 2019 redesigning its stores.
A restaurant displaying the new brand elements recently opened in Stevens Point. Across the state, Taco John’s has 32 locations. Given the chain’s existing Wisconsin portfolio, “it just made sense to go to Milwaukee, where we have tons of brand awareness, to start building restaurants,” Speirs said.
He said the company reimagined its image to have a younger, more modern appearance as it looked toward adding locations in larger markets.
“If we go into the Milwaukee market, we needed to have a fresh look, a new look,” he said.
Speirs said a couple of current franchise owners have started scouting real estate in Milwaukee. Taco John’s also seeks new partners to open some of the upcoming locations.
The restaurant chain anticipates opportunities in the next six to nine months to take over existing buildings where restaurants or banks may have closed, Speirs said, noting that could present a cost savings.
