Q&A: Does O'Tacos Franchise in the UK?

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 07/06/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Q&A: Does O'Tacos Franchise in the UK? — Photo © o-tacos-logo.jpg

People are increasingly on the lookout for food they can eat on the go. As our daily lives get busier, we need quick, filling food options we don’t have to wait around for. Today, we look at one of the businesses taking the market by storm; are there O’Tacos franchise opportunities out there?

O’Tacos is a French restaurant chain with outlets across Europe. You’ll find the majority of its sites in France and Belgium, but the business is in the process of expanding internationally. It offers customers the chance to build their own tacos and there are 40,000 possible ingredient combinations. The brand is famous for its mysterious cheese sauce, the recipe for which it insists will never be revealed to the public.

The business’s co-founder Patrick Pelonero explained the appeal of the brand’s product:

It’s a take on the traditional sandwich – tortilla, shawarma, whatever you like to call it – and it’s easy to eat. Everything is inside, it’s clean, nothing drips on you, the meat doesn’t fall out the side.

Clearly, it’s an ideal food for those on the go.

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Creating an O’Tacos meal…

The food options sold by O’Tacos are a little different to your regular taco, so let’s take a closer look at what makes them so delicious.

First, customers select their taco size; ‘M’ (single meat portion) for €5; ‘L’ (double meat portion) for €6; or ‘XL’ (double tortilla and triple meat portion) for €9. There’s even an ‘XXL’ option, with triple tortilla and quadruple meat portion for €14, but this is only for the brave, as it weighs 2.5 kilograms.

Next, you choose your meat. O’Tacos offers chicken fillets, chicken goujons, nuggets, minced meat, cordon bleu (fried breaded meat with cheese filling) and merguez (spicy sausage). Then, add any extra ingredients, like cheese, pastrami, mushrooms, caramelised onions and potato pancakes.

Finish your taco with a sauce. Options include curry, barbeque, harissa, ketchup, mayonnaise and tabasco. Once you’ve finished your creation, you can wash it all down with a soft drink like Coca-Cola or Oasis.

Does O’Tacos franchise?

Yes! O’Tacos is interested in hearing from anyone who would like to become a franchisee and help bring the brand to new territories. The fast food franchise has experienced huge success in France in a short space of time. There’s no reason why this can’t be replicated in the UK, particularly given our love of convenient fast food and the increasing diversity of the food sector.

History of O’Tacos

The story began in 2007, when the brand’s creators dreamt up their business idea. In 2010, the first O’Tacos restaurant was launched in Bordeaux. The founders had high ambitions and, by 2013, they had decided they needed to employ a franchise model in order to achieve them.

In 2014, O’Tacos officially became a franchise. It began its journey in Paris, but restaurants in new locations soon followed. The business’s expansion was rapid and, within a year, there were 12 O’Tacos outlets across France. By the end of the next year, there were 80 restaurants in the O’Tacos franchise network.

This growth only motivated the O’Tacos team to achieve even more, and the brand’s expansion showed no signs of slowing. In fact, the company dubbed 2017 “the year of explosion”. By the end of the year, there were 150 points of sale in France, as well as some in Belgium and Morocco, employing over 1,000 staff members. During 2017, O’Tacos also introduced two subsidiary brands into its restaurants: O’Salade (selling salads) and O’Gourmet (selling ‘premium’ tacos).

2018 saw even more growth, as the number of O’Tacos restaurants rose to 220. The business also formed a partnership with Kharis Capital, a Burger King shareholder in Belgium, which helped accelerate the brand’s international expansion. In the same year, the O’Tacos headquarters moved to Montrouge in southern Paris and the business introduced its very own restaurant school to train new franchisees.

What’s more, O’Tacos decided to diversify its offering even further, adding three subsidiary brands to its restaurants. Customers can now visit O’Sucre, which sells sweet tacos; O’taglace, which sells customisable ice cream sundaes; and O’Shake, which sells customisable milkshakes.

According to The Guardian:

The chain is now so popular among 15- to 25-year-olds that [French] politicians in small towns increasingly seek out franchises to boost deserted high streets.

In around a decade, O’Tacos has gone from an independent eatery to an international fast food chain selling a range of delicious meals and customisable dessert options. Its franchise model has allowed it to rapidly expand into new territories – much to the delight of its customers.

Starting an O’Tacos franchise unit

Becoming an O’Tacos franchisee: From Asian noodle boxes and Greek gyros to falafel salads and Indian curries, there are so many different food types finding a permanent spot in the fast food franchise industry. Where lunchtimes used to be marked with an uninspiring sandwich from the corner shop, consumers are now opting for fresh, exciting new flavours from fast food outlets and street stalls. You can be part of this international shift by joining O’Tacos as a franchisee.
How much you need to invest: O’Tacos hasn’t publicly released any information about how much it might cost to set up your own restaurant under its branding. You should be able to find out about the business’s investment requirements by getting in touch via its website.
What you get for your investment: You’ll be able to benefit from the fast food franchise’s extensive industry experience and marketing power when you become a franchisee. To make sure you’re up to speed, O’Tacos will also provide theoretical and practical training when you first join the company.

If you need any more persuading, keep reading…

Majd Hasnaoui is a former Paris nightclub events manager who opened four O’Tacos franchises in the Paris area within 18 months, and told The Guardian:

The kind of infatuation people have for O’Tacos – I haven’t seen that for a long time in fast food.

You can benefit from these high levels of demand when you sell your own ‘o’tacos’! To get the ball rolling, just complete the contact form on the O’Tacos website.

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