Mike’s Red Tacos has accelerated its Southern California growth plans after signing a major 18-unit franchise agreement with franchise ownership group JM Foods, paving the way for a significant expansion across Los Angeles County and Orange County. The deal marks one of the brand’s largest regional development agreements to date and further strengthens its rapidly growing national franchise pipeline.
The agreement was signed with JM Foods, led by veteran restaurant operators Victor Fiss and John Thomas. The partners bring more than three decades of restaurant ownership, operations and franchising experience and are expected to spearhead the rollout of the new locations across Southern California.
“After visiting Mike’s Red Tacos and trying the food for ourselves, we knew right away it was something special,” said John Thomas. “The birria was incredible, and for us, the food always has to speak for itself before we consider bringing a concept to our community. We were also impressed by the people behind the brand and the care they put into every detail. Mike’s is a natural fit for our family of restaurants, and we’re excited to introduce a fresh, flavourful dining experience to Orange County and Los Angeles County that we believe guests will truly love.”
Founded by Mike Touma, Mike’s Red Tacos began as a food truck in San Diego in 2021 and has since evolved into a fast-growing restaurant brand known for its birria tacos, signature consommé dip and the tagline “the dip is worth the drip.” The concept has built a strong following among younger consumers through social media and its distinctive brand identity. The company currently operates company-owned restaurants in San Diego and is expanding its corporate footprint with a prototype and training centre location in Pasadena, California.
The latest development agreement follows the company’s national franchising launch earlier this year. In February, Mike’s Red Tacos announced that it had more than 200 locations under development through multi-unit franchise agreements spanning California, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Virginia, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois and the New England region. The first franchised restaurants are expected to begin opening by the end of 2026.
“We’re proud to welcome the partners behind JM Foods to the Mike’s Red Tacos family as they expand our authentic birria experience across Los Angeles and Orange County,” said Vince Montanelli, President of Mike’s Red Tacos. “John and Victor bring decades of experience operating successful restaurants in Southern California, along with a deep understanding of what it takes to build strong teams and serve communities well. Their track record of running high-performing locations and growing thoughtfully over time gives us tremendous confidence that they’ll introduce Mike’s the right way, with a focus on quality, hospitality and creating a destination, guests are excited to visit again and again.”
Montanelli, who previously spent nearly two decades in leadership roles at Wetzel’s Pretzels, is part of a leadership team that includes franchise industry veterans and advisors such as Bill Phelps, former CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken and co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels, and Andrew Feghali, the first franchisee of Dave’s Hot Chicken. The company believes this experience will support its ambition to scale nationally while maintaining operational consistency and product quality.
According to the company, demand for birria continues to rise across the United States, helping fuel franchise interest. Industry data cited by the brand indicates birria’s presence on U.S. restaurant menus is expected to grow significantly over the coming years, creating favourable conditions for concepts focused on the category.
With more than 200 units already committed nationwide and major multi-unit agreements being signed across key markets, Mike’s Red Tacos is positioning itself as one of the fastest-growing emerging brands in the Mexican fast-casual segment. The new 18-unit Southern California agreement further reinforces the company’s strategy of partnering with experienced multi-unit operators to drive its next phase of expansion.
