bartaco
bartaco is a privately held upscale-casual restaurant chain operating 32+ locations across 15 US states, serving globally-inspired street tacos, shareable plates, and craft margaritas with a coastal aesthetic to consumers, families, and corporate catering clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChester, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What bartaco does
bartaco is a privately held upscale-casual restaurant chain operating 32+ locations across 15 U.S. states, founded around 2011 by CEO Scott Lawton and operated by the Texas LLC Barteca Restaurants, LLC. The chain's core offering is a globally-inspired street food menu built around customizable tacos with 14+ protein options (chicken tinga, mojo pork carnitas, ahi tuna tatako, sesame ribeye, baja fish, cauliflower, crispy shrimp, etc.), complemented by "not tacos" shareable plates, rice bowls, and a fresh-squeezed margarita/cocktail program anchored by Libélula tequila. Brand identity is defined by a coastal/wanderlust aesthetic (white-washed interiors, woven basket light fixtures) and a registered dragonfly logo, with coverage in The New York Times and other national press.
The underlying technology stack is composed entirely of third-party SaaS integrations rather than proprietary platforms: Olo for centralized online ordering across all locations, Wisely (and selectively ToastTab) for waitlist management, Onedine for the loyalty digital wallet and post-visit survey taco tokens, Resy for reservations at select sites, Triple Seat for private event inquiries, Givex for gift card processing, Amazon Pay as a payment option, and Paylocity for HR. There is no proprietary technology or in-house AI/ML capability; bartaco's tech footprint reflects a digitally-enabled casual dining operation leveraging best-of-breed vendor integrations.
The business model is transaction-based full-service restaurant sales supplemented by takeout, delivery (directly and via DoorDash/Uber Eats), corporate and event catering through EzCater, physical and e-gift cards, and an online merchandise shop. The customer base is horizontal, spanning general casual diners, families with children, Gen Z and Millennial consumers, university communities (e.g., Adelphi University partnership), and corporate catering clients. Go-to-market combines dine-in, digital ordering, third-party delivery, and experiential seasonal events (Cinco de Mayo, Bartaco Escape, Golden Hour, #givingtaco charitable campaigns) to drive traffic and repeat visitation across 15 states.
bartaco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- bartaco
- Legal name
- Barteca Restaurants, LLC
- Website
- https://bartaco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- bartaco is a privately held upscale-casual restaurant chain operating 32+ locations across 15 US states, serving globally-inspired street tacos, shareable plates, and craft margaritas with a coastal aesthetic to consumers, families, and corporate catering clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
bartaco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Mexican Street Food Dining
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF)
Keywords
Where bartaco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices32 records
Markets served
bartaco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Core revenue from full-service restaurant operations including tacos, 'not tacos', cocktails, beer, wine, and other food/beverage items. Locations feature bars, dine-in seating, and happy hour programs (High Tide Hour).
- Takeout and Delivery: Online ordering for takeout and delivery via bartaco.com/order and third-party platforms including DoorDash and Uber Eats.
- Catering Services: Corporate and event catering through EzCater platform featuring build-your-own taco bars, family packs, party packs, and kids' options. Contact at [email protected] or 1-888-793-9419.
- Gift Cards: Physical and e-gift cards sold in-store and online. Holiday promotional offers with bonus cards (e.g., $50 purchase = $10 bonus, $100 purchase = $30 bonus).
- Merchandise: Online merchandise store at bartaco.com/shop featuring branded items.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual menu items - tacos and small plates priced per item |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering packages for events and parties |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards with promotional bonus offers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fourth of July party packs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
bartaco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
bartaco operates upscale casual dining restaurants offering globally-inspired street tacos with 14+ protein options (chicken tinga, mojo pork carnitas, ahi tuna tatako, sesame ribeye, carne asada, baja fish, cauliflower, crispy shrimp) served on corn tortillas or bibb lettuce shells, alongside shareable 'not tacos' appetizers, build-your-own rice bowls, and a fresh-squeezed craft cocktail program anchored by signature Libélula tequila margaritas. Beyond dine-in service at 32+ locations across 15 US states, bartaco sells takeout and delivery via bartaco.com (powered by Olo), DoorDash, and Uber Eats; corporate and event catering through EzCater; physical and e-gift cards; and branded merchandise through an online store.
Product overview
Bartaco is a upscale casual dining restaurant chain offering globally-inspired street food with a coastal vibe. The core offering centers on customizable tacos with diverse protein options, complemented by 'not tacos' appetizers, rice bowls, specialty cocktails (particularly margaritas), and gelato desserts. The company operates a platform of digital services including mobile and online ordering, a loyalty wallet program, catering services, and reservation management. The product ecosystem integrates multiple third-party platforms for ordering (Olo), delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats), reservations (Resy), catering (EZ Cater), and payment processing (Amazon Pay, Givex). The company runs a #Givingtaco charitable program and offers special promotions through its secret menu subscription. Bartaco operates 32+ locations across 14 U.S. states with digital-first ordering capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Street Tacos Globally-inspired street tacos with 14+ protein options (chicken tinga, mojo pork carnitas, ahi tuna tatako, sesame ribeye, carne asada, baja fish, cauliflower, crispy shrimp) served on corn tortillas or bibb lettuce shells, available across all bartaco dine-in, takeout, and delivery channels.
- Not Tacos (Shareable Appetizers) Shareable appetizers and side dishes complementing the taco menu, including guacamole and chips, esquites, plantains, ceviche, tuna poke, chopped salad, kale caesar, gazpacho, chicken tortilla soup, street corn, black beans, and kimchi.
- Rice Bowls Build-your-own rice bowl offerings with protein options including pork belly, chicken and black bean, Korean BBQ ribeye, Mediterranean cauliflower, and ahi tuna with crispy rice.
- Signature Cocktails (bartaco Margarita program) Fresh-squeezed craft cocktail program featuring the signature bartaco margarita with Libélula joven tequila, combier liqueur d'orange, agave syrup, and lime juice, plus reposado, mezcal, spicy, and seasonal variations, available for dine-in and to-go.
- Catering Services Corporate and event catering distributed through the EzCater platform, featuring build-your-own taco bar packages, family packs (small serves 2; large serves 4), party packs (Starter Spread and BBQ Sidekick for 6-8), and office lunch options for corporate and group events.
- Gift Cards Physical and e-gift cards in any denomination, processed through the Givex platform, usable at all bartaco locations and via online ordering, with promotional bonus card offers during holiday periods.
- Branded Merchandise Bartaco-branded apparel and accessories sold through the online merchandise store at bartaco.com/shop.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15 years in business with 32+ locations across 15 states
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use bartaco
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
bartaco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
bartaco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- 4oceanminorOcean cleanup organization partnered for sinaloa chicken #givingtaco launch. $1 from every taco sold donated to 4ocean's ocean cleanup efforts.
- Giving Kitchencore#givingtaco partnership where $1 from every retro pork tamale sold in September 2025 was donated to Giving Kitchen's Dining with Gratitude program supporting food service workers in crisis. Maximum donation of $10,000.
- Oidominor#givingtaco benefit partnership featuring pulpo al pastor taco supporting Oido organization.
- Love Light + Melodyminor#givingtaco benefit partnership featuring crispy shrimp taco with $1 per item donated to Love Light + Melody.
- No Kid Hungryminor#givingtaco partnership featuring roasted brussels sprouts taco with portion of sales donated to No Kid Hungry campaign.
- Open WatercoreSustainability partnership providing ultra-purified, electrolyte-packed canned water in BPA-free aluminum packaging. Open Water is a women-owned business (founders Nic and Jess) that pioneered the canned water category. The partnership supports bartaco's sustainability goals by eliminating single-use plastic bottles. Open Water has replaced over 1.5 million pounds of plastic and is climate neutral certified.
- Adelphi Athletics / Adelphi UniversityminorUniversity partnership at Roosevelt Field location offering free small trio (guacamole, salsa roja, salsa verde + chips) to Adelphi students, faculty, and staff with valid university ID. Includes campus event presence and athletic game sponsorship.
- EzCatercoreCatering distribution partnership enabling corporate and event catering orders through EzCater platform. bartaco listings available at ezcat.com/bartaco for all locations.
- WiselycoreWaitlist and reservation management platform used across all bartaco locations for digital waitlist joins via waitlist.getwisely.com.
- OlocoreOnline ordering platform powering bartaco's digital ordering system at order.bartaco.com for all locations.
- OnedinecoreLoyalty and digital wallet platform for bartaco wallet, loyalty tokens, and order history. Used for loyalty program at app.onedine.com.
- Libélula TequilacorePrimary tequila brand featured in signature cocktails including bartaco margarita, reposado margarita, and seasonal specialty drinks. Featured in annual Margarita March, Bartaco Escape, and seasonal cocktail programs.
- Food Industry Action + NAACP Legal Defense FundminorCharitable partnership pledging 5% of sales to NAACP Legal Defense Fund as part of industry-wide restaurant solidarity initiative.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
bartaco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
bartaco social profiles
Digital presencebartaco compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
bartaco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
bartaco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
bartaco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
bartaco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about bartaco
What does bartaco do?
bartaco operates upscale casual dining restaurants offering globally-inspired street tacos with 14+ protein options (chicken tinga, mojo pork carnitas, ahi tuna tatako, sesame ribeye, carne asada, baja fish, cauliflower, crispy shrimp) served on corn tortillas or bibb lettuce shells, alongside shareable 'not tacos' appetizers, build-your-own rice bowls, and a fresh-squeezed craft cocktail program anchored by signature Libélula tequila margaritas. Beyond dine-in service at 32+ locations across 15 US states, bartaco sells takeout and delivery via bartaco.com (powered by Olo), DoorDash, and Uber Eats; corporate and event catering through EzCater; physical and e-gift cards; and branded merchandise through an online store.
Is bartaco a public or private company?
bartaco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was bartaco founded?
bartaco was founded in 2011. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is bartaco based?
bartaco is headquartered in Chester, United States, in the North America region.
How does bartaco make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are takeout and Delivery, catering Services, gift Cards and merchandise.
Does bartaco have an API?
No public API is recorded for bartaco.
What industry is bartaco in?
bartaco's product category is Casual Mexican Street Food Dining. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAB, Casual Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.