Operations

Little Caesars, Jersey Mike's franchisee adding Mike's Red Tacos to Michigan portfolio

Photo: Mike's

September 1, 2026

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Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-born birria concept named a Yelp Top 100 U.S. restaurant in 2023, has signed a 15-unit franchise agreement to expand into Michigan.

Michael Khalil, a veteran restaurant operator, will lead the expansion. The first location is planned to open in Royal Oak later this year.

Khalil began his career in accounting before founding a restaurant accounting firm, then moved into franchise ownership. He owns and operates 11 Little Caesars and 14 Jersey Mike's locations across Michigan, Indiana and California.

"I've spent my career around restaurants and franchising, and I've always believed that the best concepts are built on exceptional food and strong leadership," Khalil said in a press release. "Mike's Red Tacos has both. ... I'm excited to help introduce Mike's Red Tacos to Michigan and share a concept that I believe guests will really connect with."

Mike's Red Tacos launched as a food truck in 2021 and is known for its birria, consomé dip and a "the dip is worth the drip" tagline. The brand has built a following among millennial and Gen Z customers on social media.

"Michael brings a unique combination of restaurant expertise, financial acumen and hands-on operating experience that makes him an outstanding addition to the Mike's Red Tacos family," Vincent Montanelli, president of Mike's Red Tacos, said in a statement. "We're excited to begin introducing Mike's Red Tacos to Metro Detroit and, ultimately, communities throughout Michigan alongside him."

The Michigan deal adds to the brand's national growth. Mike's Red Tacos has more than 300 units committed nationwide, and the company said it is still seeking experienced multi-unit operators in major markets across the country.

Founder Mike Touma launched the brand's first food truck in San Diego in 2020, after becoming interested in birria's rise on social media. He opened the first brick-and-mortar location in August 2022 and a second in May 2024.

In early 2025, the company received a strategic investment from a group of restaurant industry investors that previously turned Dave's Hot Chicken into a national phenomenon. The brand's not-so-secret weapon is the executive powerhouse that led Dave's Hot Chicken to become a billion-dollar brand and top the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list in 2023 and 2025.

For Andrew Feghali, an early-stage investor, adviser and the first-ever franchisee for Dave's Hot Chicken, the magic of Mike's wasn't manufactured in a boardroom. It was found in the product obsession of the fans.

"What piqued my interest in Mike's as a 'franchisable' concept was the authenticity of the brand, the raving guest sentiment and of course the compelling unit economics, all in a category that is ripe for growth," Feghali said in an interview with FastCasual. "It wasn't manufactured; it was built from real product obsession and real consumer demand. When you see lines, social proof and repeat customers driven by craveable food rather than marketing spend, that gets my attention."