BluTaco franchise
2023 filing · April 24, 2023Growing
BluTaco at a glance
A taco and Mexican food counter added to an existing business such as a convenience store. At the end of 2022 there were 34 BluTaco locations in the US, 33 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- BluTaco Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2018
- 5 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Holts Summit, Missouri
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $9K–$349K
- A BluTaco counter inside an existing business
- Franchise fee
- $0
- Since BluTaco charges none (or any training fee); you buy the equipment, food and supplies from its affiliate Pro Food Systems
- Royalty
- None
- No royalty. You buy branded food products, equipment and supplies from Pro Food Systems, the franchisor's affiliate; an optional rebate program returns part of those purchases
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 34
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 33
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- +3
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 17
- Most in Missouri, Montana and Minnesota
Support and records
From BluTaco Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 94; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
BluTaco among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | BluTaco | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $179,000 | Costs less than 72% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $0 | Lower than 99% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 34 | More than 58% of franchises |
How much a BluTaco franchise costs
Opening a BluTaco counter inside an existing business costs an estimated $9,000 to $349,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 20
BluTaco franchise fee
The franchise fee is $0, since BluTaco charges none (or any training fee); you buy the equipment, food and supplies from its affiliate Pro Food Systems. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | No royalty. You buy branded food products, equipment and supplies from Pro Food Systems, the franchisor's affiliate; an optional rebate program returns part of those purchases. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Transfer of Franchise | $2,500 |
| Additional Training | Currently $50 to $120 an hour |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, pages 14 and 30
Other fees as filed, from page 15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures BluTaco does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 45
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $320K–$560K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | BluTaco | Typical Mexican food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −13% / +10% | −2% / +2.3% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 26% / 77% | 3.3% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical Mexican food brand is the median of the 16 brands in mexican food franchises with three years of counts.
How BluTaco compares
Of the 55 Mexican food franchises on this site, BluTaco is the cheapest to open and the 18th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | BluTaco | Typical Mexican food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $9K | $457K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $349K | $946K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $0 | $35K | $40K |
| US locations | 34 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 38 of 55 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 55 brands in mexican food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35 (+5) | 1 | +12 | −7 |
| 2021 | 38 (+3) | 1 | +9 | −6 |
| 2022 | 33 (−5) | 1 | +5 | −10 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: fast food franchise costs, gas station franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 46
Where BluTaco locations are
At the end of 2022, BluTaco had locations in 17 states. The most are in Missouri, Montana and Minnesota.
- Missouri5
- Montana4
- Minnesota3
- North Dakota3
- South Dakota3
- California2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Montana | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| California | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Kansas | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Oregon | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Texas | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 47
Who owns BluTaco?
BluTaco franchises are sold by BluTaco Franchising, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Pro Food Systems, Inc.
From BluTaco Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: BluTaco Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 13, bankruptcy on page 13
BluTaco filings
The figures on this page come from BluTaco Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued April 24, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | April 24, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other Mexican food franchises
All Mexican food franchises
BluTaco is also on these lists: fast food franchises, food franchises.