Taco Express

**Taco Express** is the name of a small chain of fast food Mexican restaurants that began operation in 2015 in North Carolina in the United States, and also its predecessor, a separate chain of nearly twenty four locations that started in 1965, and after several ownership changes was eventually absorbed into Taco Bell in 1985.

## Original Taco Express chain (1965–1985)

Taco Express was founded in 1965 in Parkland, North Carolina, by Charles Graham, who later left Taco Express in 1978, to form a now defunct chain Toys Supercenter.

## Taco Express

### Fate

Absorbed into Taco Bell, remaining locations sold to Chi-Chi's

### Parent

Distance Foods Corp (1977–1981) PepsiCo (1981-1985)

### Subsidiaries

Sub's Stand

In 1977, Taco Express was purchased by Distance Foods Corp of Richardstown, NC, who owns brands includes, Sassy Drinks, Zoom Cola, Yum Candy, and more.

In 1981, Distance Foods Corp sold the chain to PepsiCo, to focus on its foods and drinks. It allowed PepsiCo to open some more locations in areas including, CityPoint, TownPoint, Parkligton, and more. Before the PepsiCo purchase, a franchiser in CityPoint, started making an agreement with PepsiCo to open up 20 Taco Bell locations.

In 1985, the remaining locations became Taco Bell, as PepsiCo decided to focus on its main restaurant brands, including, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. In 1986, PepsiCo sold 4 underperforming Taco Bell locations used to be Taco Express, to Chi-Chi's.

Taco Express also had several unique menu items – the Mexican Fries, and the Burrito Chips. Of these, the Mexican Fries was carried over by Taco Bell for a limited time after the purchase in former Taco Express markets. The Mexican Fries was discontinued in 1993. Taco Express originally owned a private label/add-on, Sub's Stand. After the purchase by PepsiCo in 1981, it discontinued the Sub's Stand brand, and a few restaurants replaced the add-on with Pizza Hut.

## New Taco Express chain (2015-2017)

In 2015, Yorkshire Global Restaurants LLC started a new restaurant chain called Taco Express, there were 2 locations by 2016, the old Taco Express founder Charles Graham, eated a few foods at the new Taco Express location in Richardstown, North Carolina, and he claimed that service there was a little off, unlike the predecessor company, but he was happy to oversee the revival of his famous chain. Unlike the predecessor company, the new Taco Express chain, along with a new menu, does serve the Mexican Fries exclusive item, and their beverages feature Coca-Cola, kind of similar to the predecessor chain before switching to Pepsi after the purchase by PepsiCo in 1981.

## Taco Express

### Parent

Yorkshire Global Restaurants

In 2017, citing underperformance and a possible bankruptcy filing, Taco Express was dissolved.

## Second revival

On June 15, 2019, TCO Acquisition reopened a former Taco Express location, with Charles Graham becoming an President of TCO Acquisition.

The next day, Yorkshire sold its trademark of Taco Express to TCO Acquisition, allowing the company to reopen a few more former Taco Express locations.

Shortly after, the Graham family became the minority owners of TCO Acquisition.

Eventually TCO was renamed to Taco Express Operations LLC to reflect the revival of Taco Express.

As of 2020, it operates 5 locations.