Rusty Taco

What Rusty Taco does

Rusty Taco is a fast-casual taco restaurant chain founded in 2010 by Rusty Fenton, Denise Fenton, and Steve Dunn in Dallas, Texas. The brand operates approximately 27 restaurant locations across 11 U.S. states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Texas, among others) through a mix of company-owned and franchise-operated stores. Rusty Taco is a subsidiary of Inspire Brands, the diversified restaurant conglomerate that also owns Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John's, and Sonic Drive-In.

The core product is a focused menu of made-to-order street tacos, taco bowls, breakfast tacos, burritos, and shareables, with diverse protein options spanning beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and plant-based alternatives. Menu items are priced in the $2.95-$15.00 range for individual items, with combo meals ($8.95-$12.95) and group-oriented Bold Box taco packs ($26-$48) driving higher-ticket occasions. Supporting services include catering, a free loyalty program (Friends of Rusty), gift cards, and online pickup/delivery ordering powered by OLO.

Revenue is generated through four streams: retail food sales (dine-in, pickup, delivery), franchise fees and royalties from franchise operators, catering commissions, and gift card sales. Distribution is omnichannel: physical restaurant locations (the primary channel), e-commerce ordering for pickup and delivery via OLO, third-party catering via ezCater (select Colorado locations), and a recently expanded convenience-store partnership with Good 2 Go. Marketing is concentrated on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), email through the loyalty club, and a dedicated franchising portal (rustytacofranchising.com).

Name

Rusty Taco

Legal name

Rusty Taco

Website

https://rustytaco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rusty Taco is a fast-casual taco restaurant chain founded in 2010 in Dallas, Texas, operating approximately 27 locations across 11 U.S. states. A subsidiary of Inspire Brands, it serves individual consumers through dine-in, pickup, delivery, catering, and a franchise model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Mexican Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

Keywords

• Fast casual tacos
• Mexican restaurant chain
• Taco catering services
• Restaurant franchise operations
• Online food ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Rusty Taco generates revenue through individual food purchases at restaurant locations, including dine-in, pickup, and delivery orders. Menu items range from individual tacos ($2.95-$15.00) to bundled meal options like the Bold Box ($26-$48).
2. Catering Services: Catering orders for events and groups, including breakfast taco bundles, build-your-own taco bars, and party sides. Catering is available at participating locations.
3. Franchise Fees and Royalty: Rusty Taco operates through a franchise model (rustytacofranchising.com), generating revenue through franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments from franchise operators.
4. Gift Card Sales: Sale of digital eGift cards and physical gift cards delivered via email or mail. Gift card balance checking available through Givex platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rusty Taco operates a chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants serving made-to-order street tacos, taco bowls, burritos, breakfast tacos and bowls, shareables (chips, queso, guacamole, nachos, street corn), sides, combo meals, kid's meals, beverages, and desserts. Orders are fulfilled through dine-in service, online ordering for pickup, in-house delivery, and event catering, complemented by gift cards and a free email-based loyalty program.

Product overview

Rusty Taco is a fast-casual taco restaurant chain operating as a single brand offering a unified menu of tacos, taco bowls, burritos, breakfast items, sides, shareables, and desserts. The product portfolio centers on made-to-order tacos available in multiple formats (street tacos, tacos, bowls, burritos, and breakfast variations) with diverse protein options including beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and plant-based alternatives. Supporting services include catering, a loyalty program (Friends of Rusty), gift cards, and online pickup/delivery ordering. The company operates locations across 11 U.S. states and is owned by Inspire Brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bold Box (Taco Packs) Pre-configured bundled taco packs available in 6-taco ($26.00), 8-taco ($32.00), and 12-taco ($48.00) sizes that include housemade chips and salsa, with optional upgrades such as churros, queso, guac, and margarita jugs; targeted at families, groups, and pickup or delivery customers seeking a bundled meal option.
• Combo Meals Pre-configured meal combinations including the Breakfast Combo (two breakfast tacos, tots, and coffee or fountain drink at $8.95) and the Dinner Combo (two tacos, a regular side, and a fountain drink at $12.95).
• Kid's Meals Child-sized meal offerings including Kid's Quesadilla Meal, Kid's Texican Taco Meal, Kid's Chicken Tenders Meal, and Kid's Fried Chicken Taco Meal, designed for families dining in or ordering pickup or delivery.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for events featuring build-your-own taco bars, breakfast tacos, and party-sized portions at participating locations across Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Texas; ordered online through location-specific catering pages with ezCater integration at select Colorado locations.
• Gift Cards Digital eGift cards delivered via email and traditional physical gift cards, with online gift card balance checking through the Givex gift card platform.
• Friends of Rusty (Loyalty Program) Free email-based loyalty club offering new members a free taco with any purchase, along with exclusive news, free food items, and first access to new menu items.
• Franchise Program Franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs and restaurant operators to open and operate a Rusty Taco location under the brand, supported by a dedicated franchising portal at rustytacofranchising.com and the chain's 15-year operating history across 11 states.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Good 2 Go Convenience StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Good 2 Go Convenience Store has expanded its partnership with Rusty Taco, indicating a growing relationship where Rusty Taco products are distributed through convenience store locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Torchy's Tacos: Texas-born fast-casual taco chain with a similar scratch-made, customizable menu and comparable price points. Most direct head-to-head competitor given shared Texas heritage and overlapping positioning.
• Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Fast-casual taco and margarita concept originating in Fort Worth, TX. Directly comparable in menu scope, price point, and neighborhood-casual positioning, with a larger franchise footprint.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Mexican fast-casual chain serving tacos, burritos, and bowls with a customizable menu format. Direct competitor on format and occasion, owned by Apollo Global Management.
• Freebirds World Burrito: Texas-based fast-casual burrito and taco chain with a similar scratch-made, customizable menu and comparable price points. Closest peer in terms of Texas roots and counter-service format.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: National Mexican fast-casual franchise chain owned by Focus Brands. Comparable in menu (tacos, burritos, bowls), franchise-led growth model, and price tier to Rusty Taco, but at significantly greater scale.
• Taco Cabana: San Antonio-headquartered Mexican fast-casual/QSR chain offering tacos, breakfast tacos, and margaritas. Direct competitor across Texas and overlapping mid-market price positioning.
• Del Taco: California-based Mexican QSR/fast-casual hybrid with a broad menu including tacos, burritos, and breakfast items. Comparable on menu architecture and value positioning, with substantially greater scale.
• Baja Fresh: Fast-casual Mexican chain focused on flame-grilled tacos, burritos, and bowls with made-to-order preparation. Direct competitor on fast-casual positioning and menu format.

Broad incumbents

• Taco Bell: Largest Mexican QSR chain in the U.S., owned by Yum! Brands. Competes with Rusty Taco on the taco occasion at the value/quick-service end of the spectrum; massive scale and marketing budgets set the category baseline.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Largest U.S. Mexican fast-casual operator with thousands of units. Overlaps with Rusty Taco on customizable tacos/bowls but operates at a vastly larger scale with stronger brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RustyTacos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rustytaco
• Instagraminstagram.com/rustytacograms
• TikToktiktok.com/@officialrustytaco
• Xx.com/RustyTacoTweets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rusty Taco