San Diego Taco Chain Plans To Open 36 FL Restaurants

Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-born restaurant chain known for its birria tacos, has signed a 36-unit development agreement to expand into the Tampa and Orlando areas, as well as Florida's East Coast, according to a news release.

The chain's first restaurant is expected to open in 2027, according to the company's agreement with Built Different Brands, a restaurant franchise operator led by CEO Kal Gullapalli.

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Built Different Brands operates more than 80 restaurants under various brands, including Dave's Hot Chicken, Marco's Pizza and PopUp Bagels.

Specific locations and opening dates, beyond the planned 2027 debut, weren't announced in the news release.

The expansion is expected to bring the chain's signature red tacos, made with birria, a slow-cooked meat dish, and its accompanying consome dipping broth to Florida over the next several years.

"Birria and consome offer a craveable, shareable experience with genuine authenticity that has a real draw for consumers," Gullapalli said in a statement.

Mike's Red Tacos began as a food truck in 2021 before opening its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in August 2022. The company has since expanded to additional locations and is pursuing nationwide growth through franchising, the news release said.

The brand was named to Yelp's Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list in 2023 and was recognized as a Nation's Restaurant News Hot Concept in 2026. More than 350 locations have been committed nationwide, the company said.

Vincent Montanelli, president of Mike's Red Tacos, said Built Different Brands' restaurant operations experience made the company a strong partner for the Florida expansion.

"Kal and the Built Different Brands team lead large-scale restaurant brands and have the industry know-how we look for in franchisees," Montanelli said in a statement. "I'm confident residents across Florida will come to love Mike's as much as we do. As we advance our nationwide franchise growth strategy, we're focused on bringing experienced operators like Kal into the system who have the infrastructure and expertise to bring our vision to life. We look forward to seeing what his team accomplishes across Florida."

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