Differentiating the menu in the crowded Mexican quick-service segment is a challenge—tacos, quesadillas, and burritos are everywhere. But for Minneapolis-based Taco John’s, the differentiator goes back to its “West-Mex” roots.
“The brand started in Cheyenne, Wyoming 56 years ago, and when you think about that part of the country, you think campfire cooking, long, stew-based items ignited with Mexican-inspired spices and chilies,” said Brad Bergaus, corporate chef and director of menu innovation. “We’re bringing back some of that Mexican flair and heat to the menu.”
It begins with a Fiesta
Last year, Taco John’s launched a Fiesta Chicken Taco across its 340 locations. It features grilled white meat chicken and the menu’s new Fiesta sauce.
Taco John's Fiesta Chicken Taco
“Think of it as an enhanced, seasoned sour cream,” said Bergaus. “We threw jalapeños in there, we threw in cayenne, and we increased the cumin, garlic and onion.” The taco build is finished with the chain’s signature four cheese blend, lettuce and fresh pico de gallo.
“With the success of that, we brought some ‘friends’ along,” he added. New on the menu is the Fiesta Chicken Quesadilla, which features a 10-inch flour tortilla, signature four-cheese blend, grilled white meat chicken, Fiesta sauce and pico de gallo. “Then we twist it up a bit by throwing our guacamole into it, which is blended with serrano chilies and green bell peppers,” said Bergaus. “Now we're bringing a little additional flavor to our guests in a way that we haven't before, to ensure that we're meeting the needs of our current consumer, but really trying to attract that younger consumer into our stores, too.”
The Fiesta Burrito rounds out the new platform; its filled with red rice in addition to the other ingredients. The items in the line sell for $4.49 to $6.49 each.
Taco John’s pantry is stocked with other West-Mex ingredients ready to pump up flavor. Hatch chilies from New Mexico, jalapeño nacho cheese and charred chilies are a few examples. To create the Fiesta sauce and grilled chicken taco, quesadilla and burrito, the ingredients were all cross-utilized from what’s on hand.
“It's really, really looking at our pantry and determining what flavors we haven't put together for our guests. And what additional flavors work well together?” said Bergaus. “It ensures that we streamline operations.” No additional equipment or smallwares were brought in either.
Taco John’s scratch-made menu is a differentiator, too, believes Bergaus. “We fry our taco shells in house, make our pico de gallo fresh daily and have our own queso,” he said.
Although the Fiesta line is a hit, Bergaus and his team discarded some ideas along the way that didn’t work as well for the brand.
“We tried a few different iterations of burritos, from a snack size to a much larger one that was pushing close to a pound,” he said. “And while the flavors worked well, in terms of overall price point, we took a step back, because we wanted to ensure that, when someone pulled up to the drive-thru, they saw our kind of value positioning. In terms of those big eats, it really can hurt the wallet depending on what ingredients you have in there to really drive our quality perception. We want to make sure customers are going to get their money's worth.”
A future filled with color and spice
Regulars have built a strong fan base for Taco John’s, but the chain wants to turn younger consumers on to the brand. Adding more spice is one tactic, but the heat can’t be overwhelming and turn off those loyal customers. “It has to be well-rounded,” said Bergaus.
He cites the limited-time Nacho Taco Bravo as an example. The crispy corn taco features seasoned beef, taco sauce, cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce that’s then wrapped in a flour tortilla with refried beans on the inside. “We brought the taco to life by adding nacho cheese to the refried beans,” he said. “Later this year, we are introducing a spicy version of our signature meat and potato burrito. It’s very Midwest, with a twist.”
The Fiesta Chicken Quesadilla pops with color.
Bergaus is also leaning into the visual. “Another avenue is utilizing that fresh pico de gallo, because it is very visually attractive, with its reds, whites and greens from the cilantro,” he added. “Then we throw in our guacamole, and you get a lot of color.”
It’s no secret that Gen Z is into posting food photos and videos, and Taco John’s is seeing more action on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and other social channels, Bergaus reports.
Smoothing the flow
In test, the Fiesta Chicken Quesadilla went through a couple of guacamole step changes on the line. “That was a new competency for team members, but we ended up going with the two-line route to ensure that guests were getting a very nice background of guacamole with each bite,” said Bergaus. As the quesadilla goes down the line, one team member adds guac once, and another goes across the quesadilla again with more, before it’s folded and grilled.
“Whatever items we build, we have a set parameter of an average time on the assembly line. And then we have to kind of mimic that over 20 to 30 times to ensure that it’s a ‘green light’ item good to go,” said Bergaus.
The quesadilla turned out to be a “yellow light;” the team took a step back and readjusted some things to keep it moving forward. Items turn out to be red lights when they interfere too much with operations. “That’s when we say, ‘nope, we cannot move forward with it,’” he added.