Torchy's Tacos
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2006 in Austin, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Mike Rypka |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
Area served | 14 states in the USA |
Key people | Mike Rypka (CEO) |
| Products | Tacos, fast casual dining |
| Website | torchystacos |
Torchy's Tacos is a fast casual taco restaurant chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA. By 2023, the chain operates more than 110 outlets spread across 14 states.
History
Founded in 2006 by CEO Mike Rypka, Torchy's Tacos started as a food truck in Austin.[1][2] The brand shifted to permanent locations beginning in 2010, initially focusing on key Texas cities like Dallas and Houston, before broadening its presence to other Texas regions and adjacent states.[3] All stores remain company-owned, with no current plans for franchising.[4]
The company’s mascot, a baby devil figure, was inspired by an idea from Rypka,[2][3] while its tagline "Damn Good" echoes customer praise.[4] In 2019, Torchy's gained attention with a creative marketing initiative involving parachuting tacos to attendees at South by Southwest.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Torchy's Tacos received national recognition through features on the Travel Channel's Food Paradise during seasons 9 (2016) and 11 (2017).Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name It was listed among the top taco destinations in America by Delish in 2019,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name and in 2023, readers of USA Today selected it as one of the premier fast casual dining options across the country.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbusinessinsider - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmashed - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednrn