Jimboy's North America

What Jimboy's North America does

Jimboy's Tacos, Inc. (operating as Jimboy's North America) is a privately held, family-owned fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain founded in 1954 by Jim "Jimboy" Knudson from a trailer in Lake Tahoe, California. The chain operates 40+ locations concentrated in Northern California and Nevada (Reno and Sparks), with active expansion into Texas (near Fort Worth) and Southern California (including a 20-unit franchise development deal and a Huntington Beach flagship). The company's product offering centers on its signature Original Ground Beef Taco on a Parmesan-dusted, stone-ground corn tortilla, alongside a complete fast-casual menu covering burritos, combos, plates, salads, quesadillas, taquitos, nachos, and Junior Meals for children. Menu innovation includes limited-time offerings such as the Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Taco and Snackuritos. The company operates a franchise model it pioneered in 1969, with franchise economics defined by a $35,000 initial fee and total investment of $258,500-$1,854,000 per unit (excluding real estate), and a minimum $200,000 liquidity / $500,000 net worth requirement for franchisees. Long-tenured multi-unit operators manage the bulk of the system.

Jimboy's technology stack consists of conventional QSR infrastructure: a proprietary-branded mobile application on iOS and Android, an online ordering platform, and a point-of-sale system supporting dine-in, drive-thru, takeout, and delivery. The Taco Nation Rewards loyalty program is the primary digital customer-relationship layer, offering one point per dollar spent, a $10 credit at 100 points, a free signup taco, and a $5 birthday reward. Distribution is dominated by physical franchised restaurants in CA/NV with expansion into TX and Southern CA; supplementary channels include online/app ordering, gift cards, a Goldbelly nationwide shipping partnership, and a Dine and Donate community fundraising program (20% of net sales to nonprofits presenting a flyer). Marketing relies on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), PR coverage (Sacramento Bee, KCRA, Fox News, Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), and the loyalty program.

Revenue is generated across three streams: (1) restaurant food sales through franchisee-operated and company-affiliated locations; (2) franchise fees including the $35,000 initial fee plus ongoing royalties and marketing contributions; and (3) ancillary revenue from nationwide shipping through Goldbelly and gift cards. The company discloses no revenue, funding, or headcount figures; it is privately held by the founding family with Erik Freeman (grandson of the founder) as CEO and Karen Knudson-Freeman (the founder's daughter) as Chairman. There are no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investors.

Name

Jimboy's North America

Legal name

Jimboy's Tacos, Inc.

Website

https://jimboystacos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jimboy's North America (Jimboy's Tacos, Inc.) is a privately held, family-owned fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain founded in 1954, operating 40+ franchised locations across California and Nevada with active expansion into Texas and Southern California, serving value-tier consumers through a signature Original Ground Beef Taco and full Mexican menu supported by mobile ordering and a loyalty program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-casual Mexican restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Mexican fast-casual dining
• Tacos and burritos
• Restaurant franchising
• Loyalty rewards program
• Mobile ordering app

Headquarters

HQ city

Folsom

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Revenue from company-owned and franchised restaurant locations selling tacos, burritos, combos, and other menu items. Sales occur through dine-in, drive-thru, and online ordering channels.
2. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $35,000 plus ongoing royalty payments. Franchisees pay for leasehold improvements ($95,000-$975,000), fixtures/furniture/equipment ($45,000-$295,000), and first year marketing ($24,000-$125,000).
3. Nationwide Shipping: Partnership with Goldbelly for nationwide shipping of Jimboy's products, allowing customers outside restaurant locations to purchase merchandise and potentially food items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jimboy's Tacos sells made-to-order Mexican-inspired fast-casual food through company-owned and franchised restaurants, featuring its signature Original Ground Beef Taco (Parmesan-dusted stone-ground corn tortilla) alongside burritos, combos, plates, salads, quesadillas, taquitos, nachos, and junior meals. The company also monetizes its brand by selling franchises and operates the Taco Nation Rewards loyalty program, a mobile ordering app, and nationwide shipping via Goldbelly.

Product overview

Jimboy's Tacos is a family-owned restaurant chain operating over 40 fast-casual dining locations across California and Nevada. The company offers a unified product portfolio centered on its signature Original Ground Beef Taco (since 1954, featuring parmesan-dusted stone ground corn tortillas) along with a complete Mexican fast-casual menu including burritos, combos, plates, salads, quesadillas, taquitos, nachos, and kids' meals. The company operates a digital ecosystem comprising the Jimboy's Mobile App (iOS/Android) for ordering and the Taco Nation Rewards loyalty program. Operational offerings include franchise opportunities with technology infrastructure (POS systems, mobile apps) and a Dine and Donate community fundraising program. Nationwide shipping is available through Goldbelly for out-of-area customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Taco Nation Rewards: Loyalty rewards program where members earn points for every dollar spent and receive free food rewards, birthday rewards, and exclusive offers.

Products and services

• Original Ground Beef Taco Signature taco since 1954 featuring fresh ground beef cooked with Jimboy's seasonings on a grilled stone-ground corn tortilla with lettuce, cheese, and Parmesan cheese dusting; sold to consumers at restaurant locations and via online/app ordering.
• Burritos Menu category of burritos including Classic Burrito (meat and cheese), Bean & Cheese Burrito, Tahoe Burrito (whole pinto beans, Spanish rice, sour cream, cheese, red sauce, pico), and Combo Burrito, served to dine-in and takeout customers.
• Combos Value meal combinations including Two Ground Beef Tacos with drink, Ground Beef Taco with Bean Burrito, and Steak Tahoe Burrito, targeted at price-conscious diners.
• Plates Complete meal plates featuring Combo Plate (taco and enchilada with salad, beans and rice), Taco Plate (two tacos with salad, beans and rice), and Enchilada Plate, sold to dine-in customers.
• Salad & Bowls Health-conscious options including Burrito Bowl with choice of protein, Taco Salad, and Avocado Chicken Salad with house-made avocado dressing.
• Quesadillas Grilled flour tortilla options including Stuffed Quesadilla (grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, cheese, pico, chipotle sauce) and 3 Cheese Quesadilla.
• Taquitos Crispy rolled tortillas available as Loaded Taquitos (with queso, sour cream, guac, pico) or regular Taquitos, with ground beef or grilled chicken filling.
• Nachos & Chips Shared plate options including Super Nachos with choice of protein and toppings, Guac & Chips, Housemade Chips, and Queso & Chips.
• Junior Meals Kids' meals for ages 12 and under, served with drink, cinnamon churro and choice of sides, including Bean Burrito, Cheese Quesadilla, and Ground Beef Taco.
• Hot Honey Crispy Chicken Taco Limited-time seasonal taco featuring crispy fried chicken, spicy seasoning, hot honey drizzle, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese, and ranch dressing on a stone-ground corn tortilla dusted with parmesan.
• Jimboy's Snackuritos Limited-time promotion featuring three Parmesan-crusted Snackuritos varieties — Chicken Caesar Snackurito, Taquito Snackurito, or Spicy Chicken Snackurito — priced at $4.95 each.
• Taco Nation Rewards Program Free-to-join customer loyalty program in which members earn one point per dollar spent, receive a free ground beef taco on signup, $10 credit after 100 points, a $5 birthday reward, and referral incentives.
• Jimboy's Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that lets customers place orders, track rewards points, receive special offer notifications, and access their Taco Nation Rewards account.
• Jimboy's Franchise Opportunities Franchise program with a $35,000 initial fee and total investment of $258,500-$1,854,000 (excluding real estate), requiring $200,000 minimum liquidity and $500,000 minimum net worth; franchisees receive established purchasing contracts, loyalty program, mobile applications, POS systems, and support in real estate, construction, financing, marketing, operations, and training.
• Jimboy's Nationwide Shipping Nationwide shipping service through Goldbelly that lets customers outside of restaurant locations (California, Nevada, Texas) order Jimboy's products for delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 years in business with over 40 locations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Keaton's Child Cancer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Jimboy's Tacos partnered with Keaton's Child Cancer Alliance to offer a 'Six-Pack with a Purpose' during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. This charitable initiative supports pediatric cancer research and family assistance programs.
• GoldbellyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoldbelly partnership enables nationwide shipping of Jimboy's products to customers outside the restaurant's geographic footprint in California, Nevada, and Texas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moe's Southwest Grill: Moe's Southwest Grill is a fast-casual Mexican chain serving burritos, tacos, and bowls through a franchise system. Comparable menu, format, and franchise economics to Jimboy's.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Qdoba is a fast-casual Mexican chain with build-your-own burritos, tacos, and bowls with franchise and corporate locations. Directly comparable format and customer profile.
• Del Taco: Del Taco is a direct Mexican QSR/fast-casual peer with drive-thru, burrito-and-taco focused menu, and franchise model. Highly comparable on menu, daypart, and customer demographic to Jimboy's.
• Rubio's Coastal Grill: Rubio's is a California-headquartered fast-casual Mexican chain with coastal focus. Comparable California roots, franchise-light model, and brand heritage to Jimboy's.
• Baja Fresh: Baja Fresh operates fast-casual Mexican restaurants with fresh-grilled menu and franchise system. Directly comparable on product mix (burritos, tacos, bowls) and target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Taco Bell: Taco Bell is the dominant Mexican QSR chain with massive scale, value menu focus, and national footprint. Competes for the same value-conscious lunch/dinner occasions and is a benchmark for category economics.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Chipotle leads the fast-casual Mexican segment with build-your-own bowls, burritos, and tacos. Sets the bar for digital ordering scale, AUVs, and menu innovation in the category Jimboy's competes in.

Regional players

• Wahoo's Fish Taco: Wahoo's is a California-focused fast-casual chain blending Mexican and Brazilian-inspired menu with primarily Southern California presence. Comparable regional positioning and Mexican fast-casual concept to Jimboy's.
• Taco Cabana: Taco Cabana is a Texas-based Mexican fast-casual/QSR chain focused on drive-thru and dine-in. Relevant as Jimboy's expands into the Texas market where Taco Cabana already competes.

Emerging players

• Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican: Cafe Rio is a regional fast-casual Mexican chain in the Western U.S. with made-to-order burritos, tacos, and salads. Comparable menu and regional expansion profile for benchmarking franchise unit growth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jimboystacos
• Facebookfacebook.com/jimboystacos
• Instagraminstagram.com/jimboystacos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jimboys-tacos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Jimboy's North America