What District Taco does

District Taco is a privately held Yucatan-style Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2009 by Osiris Hoil and Marc Wallace, launching from a food cart in Rosslyn, Arlington, Virginia. The company opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2010 and has since grown to 13 corporate restaurants and 5 franchise locations across the Mid-Atlantic (Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania), New Jersey, New York, and Florida, with 70+ franchise locations in development. The core menu consists of customizable tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas, and sides prepared daily from scratch using the founder's family Yucatan recipes, with chiles and tomatoes roasted on premises and meats marinated with regional spices. The company also operates a catering business, a merchandise e-commerce store, and in 2024 opened Mezcaleria, a bar sub-brand at its Dupont Circle location in Washington DC.

The technology stack is built on third-party SaaS providers rather than internal AI. Online ordering is powered by OLO, payments by Shopify and Thanx, and the loyalty program (District Taco Rewards, launched September 2023 with Poblano/Jalapeño/Habanero tiers) is run on Paytronix. A proprietary mobile app for iOS and Android supplements a proprietary franchise portal that supports multi-unit franchise operators. New units feature self-order kiosks and a single cashier model. District Taco does not expose a public or partner-facing API.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer restaurant sales (corporate-owned locations plus online/app orders, with delivery via DoorDash) with franchise licensing royalties and development fees following the 2021 franchise launch. Average ticket is approximately $22, with online orders now representing approximately 40% of sales versus 4% in 2019. Customer segments are primarily individual consumers seeking fresh, customizable Mexican food, supplemented by corporate/event catering and franchisees (multi-unit operators or senior restaurant professionals with experience running five or more restaurants). Co-founders Hoil and Wallace retain controlling ownership; no private equity or venture capital involvement is disclosed.

Name

District Taco

Legal name

District Taco, LLC

Website

https://districttaco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

District Taco is a Yucatan-style Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2009, operating corporate and franchise locations across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast US, serving individual consumers seeking fresh, customizable Mexican food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Mexican Dining

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Mexican restaurant chain
• Franchise restaurant development
• Yucatan style cuisine
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue from company-owned restaurant locations including dine-in, takeout, pickup, and delivery orders. Average check approximately $22. Online orders now represent approximately 40% of sales.
2. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchise development fees and ongoing royalty payments from franchise operators. Company signed first franchise agreement in 2021 and has over 70 franchise locations in development.
3. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering orders including taco bars, burrito bundles, and breakfast taco boxes. Orders can be placed online for pickup or delivery.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and tote bags.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

District Taco is a Yucatán-style Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain operating company-owned and franchise locations across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast US. The company sells customizable tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas, breakfast items, and sides prepared fresh daily from authentic family recipes passed down from the founder's mother. It also operates corporate catering services, online ordering via mobile app and website, a tiered loyalty rewards program, and a branded merchandise e-commerce store.

Product overview

District Taco is a Yucatan-style Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain operating on a single unified brand platform. The core offering consists of customizable menu items including tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas, and sides, all prepared fresh daily with authentic recipes inspired by the founder's Yucatan heritage. The company extends its platform through multiple complementary services: a mobile app enabling online ordering and loyalty rewards (District Taco Rewards), catering services for events, a merchandise store, and franchise opportunities. Additionally, the Mezcaleria bar concept represents a sub-brand extension at select locations. The product ecosystem is unified by the core food offerings, supported by digital infrastructure for ordering, rewards, and customer engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mezcaleria: Mezcaleria concept at the Dupont location featuring cocktails, exceptional agave spirits, and District Taco favorites.

Products and services

• Tacos Choice of protein and toppings on a soft corn or flour tortilla. Signature Yucatán-style tacos feature fresh ingredients and authentic family recipes prepared daily.
• Burritos Rice, black beans, and choice of protein and toppings wrapped in a flour tortilla. Includes varieties such as the California Burrito and Burrito Mojado.
• Bowls Rice, black beans, and choice of protein and toppings served in a bowl, including the Protein Vida Bowl and Vegan Vida Bowl options.
• Ensaladas (Salads) Romaine or supergreens with choice of protein and toppings, served with side of lime or chile-lime dressing. Customizable salad offerings.
• Quesadillas Melted cheese on a flour tortilla with choice of toppings and protein, served with a side of lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
• Sides & More Includes chips and salsa, queso, guacamole, rice and beans, and churros — fresh homemade sides prepared daily.
• All-Day Breakfast Menu All-day breakfast offerings including Breakfast Tacos, Breakfast Burritos, Huevos Rancheros, and Breakfast Taco Boxes featuring scrambled eggs, potatoes, and cheese with choice of protein.
• Churritos Golden, crispy cinnamon-sugar coated dessert served with chocolate dipping sauce. Signature sweet treat made fresh daily.
• Mezcaleria Bar Sub-brand bar concept at the Dupont location featuring cocktails, exceptional agave spirits, mezcal flights, and District Taco favorites. Located at 1919 M St NW, Washington, DC 20036.
• Catering Services Catering dishes made to order for events including Taco Bars serving approximately 15 people, Burrito Bundles, and combo meals with delivery and setup options available for pickup or delivery.
• District Taco Mobile App Proprietary mobile application for iOS and Android enabling online ordering, rewards tracking, and mobile payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• District Taco Merchandise Store Online store selling branded merchandise including tote bags, hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, and t-shirts featuring District Taco branding and logos.
• District Taco Franchise Program Multi-unit franchise development program offering franchise opportunities for experienced multi-unit restaurant operators. Over 70 franchise locations in development across multiple states with a goal of 80 units by 2027.
• District Taco Rewards Loyalty Program Tier-based loyalty rewards program with three tiers — Poblano, Jalapeño, and Habanero. Members earn 10 points per $1 spent, receive birthday rewards, and unlock exclusive perks at higher tiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sold 10 millionth taco in 2022
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spadea LignanacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFranchise consulting firm that helps District Taco manage key aspects of franchising including state registration statuses and Franchise Disclosure Document tracking through their client portal. Their systemized approach replaced hourly attorney fees with streamlined processes.
• Sam ChamberlainminorOthersCOO of Five Guys Burgers, serves as Board Advisor providing industry expertise to District Taco leadership.
• Paul RobinsonminorOthersFinance specialist serving as Board Advisor to District Taco.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partner enabling District Taco delivery orders made through app or online. No minimum requirement for delivery orders.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Moe's Southwest Grill: Franchise-driven Mexican fast-casual chain owned by Focus Brands with 700+ locations. Closely comparable to District Taco's franchise-led growth strategy and menu positioning, with a similar emphasis on customizable Mexican bowls, burritos, and tacos.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Direct Mexican fast-casual competitor owned by Inspire Brands with ~750 locations. Competes in tacos, burritos, and bowls with similar menu customization, making it the closest comparable operating model to District Taco in size and category.
• Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Fast-casual Baja-style Mexican franchise with 150+ locations and strong franchise-driven growth model. Comparable to District Taco in franchising emphasis, menu format, and unit economics profile, though with a different regional stronghold (Texas).
• Baja Fresh Mexican Grill: Fast-casual Mexican chain with ~250 locations emphasizing flame-grilled proteins and fresh ingredients. Comparable menu positioning and price point to District Taco, with similar custom-build burrito/taco/quesadilla format.

Broad incumbents

• CAVA Group: Publicly traded Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual chain (~350+ locations) at a similar growth trajectory and stage to District Taco's aspirations. Comparable as a next-generation fast-casual player leveraging digital ordering, loyalty programs, and franchise/company unit growth.
• Taco Bell: QSR-category leader in Mexican food with 7,000+ U.S. locations and massive marketing budget under Yum! Brands. While price-point and format differ from District Taco's fast-casual model, Taco Bell competes for the same Mexican food occasions and consumer dollars.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: The dominant Mexican fast-casual chain with 3,500+ U.S. locations and national brand recognition. While much larger and publicly traded, Chipotle competes head-to-head with District Taco in the same customizable Mexican burrito/bowl/taco category and serves as the benchmark competitor for any Mexican fast-casual expansion.

Emerging players

• Bar Taco: Upscale fast-casual Mexican concept with ~25 locations emphasizing coastal-inspired tacos, craft cocktails, and bar program. Directly comparable to District Taco's Mezcaleria sub-brand concept and to its premium-positioning strategy within Mexican fast-casual.
• Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill: Smaller franchise-driven Mexican fast-casual chain with ~80 company and franchise locations. Closely comparable to District Taco in scale, franchise model, and menu offering, making it a relevant peer for franchise unit-economics benchmarking.

Regional players

• Tito's Cantina: Regional Mexican fast-casual concept operating in select markets with comparable customizable menu and franchise model. Relevant as a regional player illustrating how Mexican fast-casual brands scale outside their home markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/districttaco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@district-taco
• Facebookfacebook.com/districttaco
• Instagraminstagram.com/districttaco
• TikToktiktok.com/@districttaco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 District Taco