Taco Bueno

Taco Bueno is a U.S.-based, quick service restaurant chain specializing in Tex-Mex-style cuisine. The company is headquartered in Farmers Branch, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Its first location opened in Abilene, Texas in 1967. The food chain has locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. As of September 3, 2019, around 150 units were in operation.[1]

Taco Bueno
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryRestaurant
FoundedAbilene, Texas (1967 (1967))
FounderBill Waugh
HeadquartersFarmers Branch, Texas
Key people
Robert Sanders, VP of Taco Bueno, Sun Holdings
ProductsTacos, burritos, and other Mexican-related fast food
Revenue$187 million
Number of employees
3,856
ParentSun Holdings
Websitetacobueno.com

History

Taco Bueno was founded in 1967 by Bill R. Waugh, an art graduate from Abilene Christian University. The first store was located in Abilene, Texas.[2]

In 1981, British food manufacturer Unigate paid $32.5 million to acquire Taco Bueno.[3]

In 1996, Taco Bueno was sold to Carl's Jr.'s franchisor CKE Restaurants.[4]

In 2001, the private investment group Jacobson Partners purchased the chain for $72.5 million to help aid CKE Restaurants in a debt battle.[5]

On August 10, 2005, Palladium Equity Partners announced the purchase of Taco Bueno from Jacobson Partners. At the same time, John Miller was appointed CEO of Taco Bueno.[6] In 2011, Ed Lambert became CEO of Taco Bueno, LP., followed by Mike Roper in 2015.

In fall 2015, Taco Bueno announced its first delivery expansion collaboration with mobile app Tapingo.[7]

In early December 2015, Taco Bueno was purchased by TPG Growth, a division of the Fort Worth private-equity firm TPG Capital.[8]

On April 28, 2017, season eight, episode seven of the CBS show Undercover Boss,[9] debuted with the CEO of Taco Bueno going into the field to several Taco Bueno locations.[10]

As of April 2018, Mike Roper who had left in late 2017, was replaced as CEO by Omar Janjua,[11] who subsequently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 6, 2018, for reorganization and continued operation, and also agreed to be acquired by Dallas-based Sun Holdings, which already owned or controlled over 800 various other fast food franchise locations, for an undisclosed amount.[2][12] An affiliate of Sun Holdings, Taco Supremo, assumed Taco Bueno's outstanding debt and supplied $10 million in working capital to reorganize and revitalize the business.[13] On January 15, 2019, Taco Bueno emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[2]

In mid-June 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain opened its first Houston-area location in Katy.[14]

  • Taco Bueno has been referenced several times on the television show King of the Hill. In the episode, "Kidney Boy and Hamster Girl: A Love Story," Bobby discovers a Taco Bueno in the cafeteria of the high school where he is pretending to be a student.
  • Founder Bill Waugh also founded Casa Bonita, a chain with one location remaining in Lakewood, Colorado. It was featured on an episode of South Park. See Casa Bonita (South Park episode)[15]

See also

References
  1. Maze, Jonathan (September 3, 2019). "Guillermo Perales Takes On Taco Bueno". Restaurant Business. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  2. Klein, Danny (January 2019). "Taco Bueno Sold to Sun Holdings". QSR Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  3. "Taco Bueno, Crystal's, Too English Firm Buys Casa Bonita Chain". The Oklahoman. December 1, 1981. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  4. "CKE Restaurants Agrees To Purchase Casa Bonita". New York Times. August 29, 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  5. "CKE Will Sell Its Taco Bueno Unit For $72.5 Million". The New York Times. March 15, 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  6. "Palladium Equity Partners Completes Acquisition of Taco Bueno Restaurant Chain". Palladium Equity. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  7. "Taco Bueno to offer its first delivery service". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  8. "TPG". TPG Growth. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  9. "Taco Bueno". CBS. 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  10. Tramel, Jimmie (April 28, 2017). "What happened when 'Undercover Boss' went to Taco Bueno in Owasso?". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  11. "Taco Bueno Names CEO with 35 Years of Quick Service Experience". www.bizjournals.com. March 30, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  12. DiFurio, Dom (August 1, 2019). "Dallas' franchise king Guillermo Perales just opened his 1,000th store — and he's not done growing yet - Franchisee becomes the franchisor". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  13. "new-investor-acquires-taco-bueno-amid". www.bizjournals.com. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  14. Rosenthal, Abigail (June 16, 2020). "Houston area's first Taco Bueno now open in Katy". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  15. "South Park: Casa Bonita". South Park. South Park Studios. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
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