Franchising

Rusty Taco signs deals with multi-concept franchisees

January 6, 2022

Rusty Taco, owned by Inspire Brands, has signed several multi-unit franchise agreements to expand its presence in Utah, Nevada, Virginia and Texas.

"The latest Rusty Taco franchisees bring a wealth of industry and ownership experience to the brand and showcase the cross-brand opportunities available to franchisees within the Inspire Brands network," Brendan Mauri, president of Rusty Taco, said in a press release.

"Over the past decade, while Rusty Taco has certainly evolved since its inception, we have remained focused on creating a welcoming environment where guests can comfortably enjoy the fresh and flavorful tacos, queso and margaritas that Rusty Taco is known for," he said in the release. "This continued commitment, coupled with the expanded support and resources from Inspire Brands, has propelled our success and positioned us to grow our brand nationwide."

The newest franchisees include:

• Sean Cosper of Home Run Restaurant Group will bring three Rusty Taco locations to Salt Lake City, with the first one slated to open next year. Cosper also owns 13 Arby's locations throughout Utah, which makes Rusty Taco the second Inspire Brands concept in his portfolio.
• Brother-sister team Ian and Taylor Cain of Ocathain Partners LLC will expand Rusty Taco in Nevada with two locations in Reno. The Cains first joined the Inspire Brands family when they opened a Sonic location in Nevada in 1999.
• Brothers Fenil and Jitesh Patel of Tacos of Heaven LLC signed an agreement to open two Rusty Taco locations in Norfolk, Virginia. While this will be their first Inspire Brands concept, the Patels have owned a variety of restaurant brands and hotels over the years.
• Sheila Abusaab of Lion's Den will spearhead the group's development across West Texas, signing a five-location development agreement with the first units set to open in Midland and Lubbock. Abusaab owns Sonic locations throughout West Texas.

In addition to Rusty Taco's strong growth pipeline, the brand recently opened a new location in Dubuque, Iowa, which reported record-breaking sales in its first week, according to the release. Rusty Taco will continue to grow its presence when the brand opens three locations in San Antonio, Texas; Lawrence, Kansas, and Richmond, Virginia over the next month, which will bring its total store count to 39.

Inspire Brands owns 32,000 locations of Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco and Sonic.