TEDS CAFE ESCONDIDO

What TEDS CAFE ESCONDIDO does

Ted's Cafe Escondido is a privately held, founder-owned full-service Mexican restaurant chain founded by Ted Curtis on October 3, 1991, in a remodeled house on 68th Street in Oklahoma City. The company operates 10 brick-and-mortar locations across Oklahoma — including the OKC metro (North OKC, South OKC, West OKC/Council Road, North Penn, Del City), Edmond, Norman, Broken Arrow, Tulsa Hills, and Lawton — and a fast-casual sub-brand, Ted's Tacos and Cantina, which launched in OKC's Uptown 23rd District in November 2020. The chain has expanded over 30 years into a regional Oklahoma institution, recognized as "Best Mexican Food" in The Oklahoman Readers' Choice Awards 13 times including 9 consecutive years through 2021, and as "Best Margarita" in 2021.

The core product is made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine — fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, handmade tortillas produced on demand, fresh-squeezed lime margaritas (over 20 varieties), and fresh salsas, queso, beans, rice, and guacamole prepared daily. A centralized USDA-inspected production facility vacuum-seals and slow-marinates premium flank steak and chicken for 24-48 hours in a proprietary spice blend, enforcing flavor consistency across all units. Operational technology includes a four-person team service model per section, the Aloha online ordering platform, native iOS/Android apps (Ted's Rewards loyalty with 1 point per dollar), Yelp Waitlist integration, Cashstar-powered gift cards, and a TapTap Eat catering ordering platform.

The business model is multi-stream. Primary revenue comes from full-service dine-in at 10 locations with full bar service (happy hour Mon-Fri 2-5pm, Kids Eat Free Mondays). Secondary streams include direct online ordering and third-party delivery via DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub, and UberEats; off-site catering in three tiers (casual buffet from $15.49/person, serviced buffet, banquet room from $19.49/person) with 15-20 person minimums; mobile taco truck catering ($200 OKC metro fee plus $600 F&B minimum); three private banquet rooms (Escondido up to 100 guests, Pueblo up to 50-65, plus Tulsa); pre-packaged party packs for 5-10 people ($25-$155); gift cards; and a fundraiser night program donating 10% of sales to schools, sports teams, and nonprofits on Tue/Wed evenings.

Name

TEDS CAFE ESCONDIDO

Legal name

Ted's Café Escondido

Website

https://tedscafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ted's Cafe Escondido is a privately held, founder-owned full-service Mexican restaurant chain founded in 1991, operating 10 locations across Oklahoma with a fast-casual sub-brand, serving made-from-scratch cuisine, fajitas, and margaritas to families, event hosts, and catering customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Mexican restaurant chain
• Made-from-scratch dining
• Event catering services
• Loyalty rewards program
• Fast-casual Mexican

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City, OK

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 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 Dining: Full-service dining at 10 Oklahoma locations with made-from-scratch Mexican food. Dine-in with full bar service including margaritas, beer, and cocktails. Team service model with traditional server, server assistant, buddy server, and floor manager.
2. Carryout and Delivery: To-go orders via phone, online ordering platform, and third-party delivery services (DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub, UberEats). Curbside to-go available at all locations. Online ordering at select locations.
3. Catering Services: Off-site catering for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, and fundraisers. Three service levels: casual buffet, serviced buffet, and banquet room. Also mobile taco truck catering.
4. Party Packs: Pre-packaged family meals for 5 or 10 people available for pickup or DoorDash delivery. Includes tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and breakfast options.
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold online and at all locations.
6. Loyalty Program: Ted's Rewards mobile app with 1 point per dollar spent. 150 bonus points for signing up. Free kids meal Mondays with adult entree purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ted's Cafe Escondido operates full-service Mexican restaurants across 10 Oklahoma locations, selling made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine including fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, and a broad margarita menu, alongside a full bar. The company also provides off-site catering (casual and serviced buffets, banquet rooms, and a mobile taco truck), party packs, gift cards, and an online/mobile ordering and loyalty program.

Product overview

Ted's Cafe Escondido is a full-service Mexican restaurant chain founded in 1991, operating 10 locations across Oklahoma. The core offering is made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine including fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, and margaritas. Digital services include online ordering via website and mobile app (iOS/Android) with DoorDash, Postmates, UberEats, and GrubHub delivery integrations. The company operates loyalty programs including Ted's Rewards (points-based mobile app program) and E-Migo Club (email-based with free Wi-Fi). Catering services include off-site catering (casual and serviced buffet) and private banquet rooms (Escondido Room up to 100 people, Pueblo Room up to 50 people in OKC, plus Tulsa location). Party Packs offer family meals for 5 or 10 people for pickup. Gift cards are available through Cashstar. A new fast-casual sub-brand called Ted's Tacos and Cantina launched in November 2020 in OKC's Uptown 23rd District, featuring specialty tacos, loaded waffle fries, and counter service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ted's Tacos and Cantina: A new fast-casual restaurant concept featuring counter service, full service bar, dog-friendly patio seating, and a menu including specialty tacos, loaded waffle fries, build your own burritos, and sheet pan nachos. Located at 600 NW 23rd St., Suite A in OKC's Uptown 23rd District.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 consecutive years named Best Mexican Food in The Oklahoman Readers' Choice Awards (13 total wins)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery partnership enabling food delivery from all 10 Ted's locations. DoorDash integration on website for online ordering. Beer available for to-go delivery. Party Packs eligible for DoorDash delivery.
• Postmates, GrubHub, UberEatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional third-party delivery platforms offering contactless delivery options alongside DoorDash. Multi-platform delivery strategy.
• Operation Freedom and Oklahoma Education AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partners for #Tacos4Teachers initiative. 10,000 tacos donated for teacher strike demonstrations at Oklahoma Capitol. Ongoing community support for Oklahoma educators.
• YelpcoreTechnology or IntegrationYelp Waitlist integration allows guests to view estimated wait times, join remotely before arriving, and receive text notification when table is ready. Reduces lobby crowding and improves guest experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen: Casual dining chain emphasizing made-from-scratch preparation. Comparable to Ted's in 'made-from-scratch' value proposition and family casual dining positioning, though not Mexican cuisine.

Broad incumbents

• Moe's Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain owned by Focus Brands. Comparable to Ted's sub-brand (Ted's Tacos and Cantina) in fast-casual Mexican format and customizable menu approach.
• Chevy's Fresh Mex: National full-service Mexican restaurant chain. Comparable to Ted's in full-service Mexican dining format but operates at larger national scale with broader geographic footprint.
• On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina: National full-service Mexican chain with strong Tex-Mex positioning and bar/cantina focus. Comparable to Ted's in dining format, margarita-centric bar program, and event/catering offerings but at national scale.

Regional players

• Rosa's Cafe: Texas-based regional Mexican restaurant chain with both fast-casual and full-service formats. Comparable to Ted's in Mexican cuisine focus and sub-brand format experimentation, though primarily operating in Texas.
• Freebirds World Burrito: Texas-based fast-casual burrito chain. Comparable to Ted's Tacos and Cantina concept in counter-service Mexican format, primarily operating in Texas and adjacent markets.

Direct peers

• El Chico Restaurants: Regional full-service Tex-Mex/Mexican restaurant chain headquartered in the South-Central US. Comparable to Ted's in category, service model, and historical regional brand positioning.
• Taco Bueno: Regional Tex-Mex/Mexican QSR chain headquartered in the same South-Central US region (Texas/Oklahoma). Directly comparable to Ted's in geographic market overlap and Mexican cuisine focus.
• Abuelo's Mexican Food Restaurants: Regional full-service Mexican restaurant chain with multiple locations across the South and Midwest. Directly comparable to Ted's in cuisine focus, full-service dining model, catering offerings, and family-friendly positioning.

Emerging players

• Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain. Comparable to Ted's sub-brand Ted's Tacos and Cantina in fast-casual format, build-your-own concept, and tech-enabled ordering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teds-cafe-escondido

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 TEDS CAFE ESCONDIDO