Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey

What Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey does

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey (legal entity: BARRIO COMMISSARY, LLC) is a private fast-casual restaurant company founded in 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio. It operates a build-your-own taco concept where customers select across six steps (tortilla, protein, cheese, toppings, salsa, sauce), supported by a full beverage program featuring 100+ tequila and whiskey selections, specialty margaritas, and a brunch menu. The company sells through company-owned restaurants, an online ordering platform (Incentivio), a mobile loyalty app (iOS and Android), Shopify-powered merchandise, gift cards (CardFoundry), catering for groups of 15-200, and a Cleveland-area food truck.

Barrio has scaled to 19+ locations across seven U.S. states (Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida), with most recent additions including McKinney, TX and Raleigh, NC. The company is headquartered at 3190 W 63rd St, Cleveland and employs 101-250 people. Its revenue mix combines dine-in food and beverage sales, off-premise catering, food truck bookings with minimum-spend requirements ($1,200-$2,500 depending on day/time), franchise fees and royalties from a franchising program targeting multi-unit operators, and ancillary merchandise and gift card sales.

The technology stack is composed of off-the-shelf SaaS integrations rather than proprietary platforms: Incentivio for online ordering, Shopify for the swag store, CardFoundry for gift cards, Google Maps Platform for the store locator, and a branded loyalty app. The company has been recognized as a top-10 taco stand in the United States and voted Best Food Truck by Cleveland Scene. Ownership appears to be founder/private, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment.

Name

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey

Legal name

BARRIO COMMISSARY, LLC

Website

https://barrio-tacos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey is a private fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2012 in Cleveland, operating 19+ build-your-own taco locations across seven U.S. states, supplemented by catering, food truck, franchising, and merchandise revenue lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-casual Mexican restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFABAC

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Fast Casual Restaurants

Keywords

• Fast-casual restaurants
• Mexican food service
• Restaurant franchising
• Event catering services
• Mobile food truck

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue stream from operating fast-casual taco restaurants serving build-your-own tacos, margaritas, whiskey, and other beverages. Revenue generated from dine-in customers at multiple locations across seven states.
2. Catering Services: Off-premise catering for corporate events, parties, weddings, and gatherings. Includes food delivery, setup with sternos and chafing pans, and taco-building experience for guests. Serves groups from 15 to 200 people.
3. Food Truck Operations: Mobile food truck serving Cleveland area events including special events, company lunch breaks, graduation parties, weddings, and concerts. Operates on booking with minimum spend requirements.
4. Franchising Fees: Revenue from franchisee partnerships including initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties from multi-unit operators growing the brand across new markets.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online swag shop selling Barrio branded clothing and gear through their Shopify storefront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey operates a build-your-own taco restaurant concept where customers select tortillas, proteins, cheeses, toppings, salsas, and sauces across a six-step process to create personalized tacos, bowls, or nachos. The concept is paired with a deep beverage program of specialty margaritas, craft cocktails, and an extensive tequila (100+ varieties) and whiskey selection. The brand runs 19+ locations across seven states, complemented by off-premise catering, a Cleveland-area food truck, a mobile rewards app, and an online swag shop.

Product overview

Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey operates a build-your-own taco restaurant concept with locations across seven states. The core offering centers on a customizable six-step taco building experience, complemented by specialty menu items under 'El Jefe's Selecciones.' The company operates a unified food and beverage program including food, drink, and brunch menus, supplemented by catering services, a food truck operation, and a loyalty/rewards program accessible through a mobile app. Additional revenue streams include an e-commerce Swag Shop for merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Build-Your-Own Taco Experience Customizable taco building concept where customers select tortillas, proteins, cheeses, toppings, salsas, and sauces across six steps to create personalized tacos, bowls, or nachos; available at all company-owned and franchised locations for dine-in and takeout.
• Food Menu

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Fast-casual taco and margarita concept with build-your-own options and a strong bar identity across multiple states. Comparable on product mix, neighborhood/bar atmosphere, and franchised growth model.
• Torchy's Tacos: Premium fast-casual taco chain with build-your-own menu and specialty bar program operating across multiple U.S. states. Comparable on concept, premium positioning, and franchised multi-unit growth strategy.
• Condado Tacos: Ohio-based fast-casual build-your-own taco concept with similar neighborhood positioning, full bar program, and multi-state expansion. Most directly comparable peer given overlap in core market, customization model, and bar-led differentiation.
• Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican: Fresh-Mex fast-casual chain with build-your-own tacos/burritos/salads and a multi-state footprint. Comparable on customizable core menu and casual-dining atmosphere.
• Freebirds World Burrito: Fast-casual, build-your-own burrito/taco chain with similar customization model and multi-state franchise footprint. Comparable on customization, casual energy, and franchise expansion strategy.
• Bartaco: Upscale fast-casual taco/tequila concept with build-your-own menu and full bar program across multiple U.S. markets. Highly comparable on premium taco + bar positioning and neighborhood atmosphere.

Regional players

• Taco Cabana: Regional fast-casual taco chain concentrated in Texas with full bar (margarita-led) programs. Comparable on product/menu mix but operates primarily outside Barrio's current core geography.

Broad incumbents

• Moe's Southwest Grill: Established fast-casual Mexican chain owned by a major parent with national footprint and build-your-own-style menu. Comparable on category and customization, but operates at far broader scale and corporate-owned mix.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Largest U.S. fast-casual Mexican chain with a customizable core menu. Indirect but category-defining competitor that anchors consumer expectations for build-your-own customization and price points.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain with build-your-own burrito/taco options and franchised locations. Comparable on category and customization mechanics; competes directly for the same casual dinner occasion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BarrioTacos_
• Facebookfacebook.com/barrioraleigh
• Instagraminstagram.com/barrio_tacos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barrio-tacos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey