Velvet Taco will plant its flag in London’s Soho neighborhood in the spring of 2025 through a multiunit agreement with Velvet Taco UK Ltd., marking the 13-year-old Dallas-based brand’s first international franchise location. The agreement calls for more locations to open in London as well as additional United Kingdom markets. Further, it marks the first of several international growth opportunities that Velvet Taco is currently pursuing.
“Velvet Taco has had International expansion as a step in our strategic growth plan since the acquisition by (private equity owner) Leonard Green & Partners (in late 2021) and we have been methodically putting in the systems and processes to support the successful expansion of the brand across the globe,” chief executive officer Clay Dover wrote in an email to Nation’s Restaurant News. “We’re thrilled to select Piccadilly Circus as our first location, knowing that Velvet Taco will feel right at home in the vibrant, bustling area filled with global influences.”
During a recent interview, Dover said the company has the infrastructure to get to around 200 locations by 2030, including those planned overseas.
“We believe our international menu lends itself to these markets,” he said.
Velvet Taco’s globally inspired menu includes the top-selling Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco and the Fish ‘n Chips Taco. The menu also includes a Weekly Taco Feature (WTF), rotating in a new offering each week.
Velvet Taco plans to franchise in international markets, though its domestic locations will remain company-owned for now. There is no set goal at this time for a global footprint, but Dover believes such a presence will support the company’s longer-term goal of reaching “hundreds of locations across the world.”
“We believe we have an opportunity to change the way people think about tacos and that resonates all over the place,” Dover said. “We have proof of concept where we know people who see us want to try us. That’s why we know we have tons of runway.”
Velvet Taco currently has nearly 50 locations across eight states, with another planned in Scottsdale, Ariz., in early November, and two opening in Dallas in early 2025. Also, a second airport location at George Bush Houston Airport with partners Latrelle’s Management Corp. is expected to open in the first half of 2025.
“I am excited about our upcoming restaurant opening pipeline for 2025 and beyond as we continue to meet guest demand for global tacos across our markets,” Dover said.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
