First of Five Planned Locations for Franchisee Hector Haget in Collin County
Cilantro Taco Grill, the nation’s fastest-growing authentic Mexican fast-casual franchise, is set to open its first Texas location in Celina, Collin County. Franchisee Hector Haget has secured a prime spot at 734 Frontier Parkway, conveniently located near major highways, Tropical Smoothie Café, and Frontier Park. This marks a significant milestone in the brand’s rapid nationwide expansion.
“The location is in a prime spot, and it’s the first of five planned for the area. Cilantro Taco Grill brings something unique—authentic Mexican food that’s true to its roots, combined with a scalable model and exceptional franchisee support,” said Hector Haget. “With its proximity to major suburban developments, convenient highway access, and neighboring popular franchises, this location is positioned for success. I was drawn to Cilantro Taco Grill’s mission of positively impacting the communities where they operate, which aligns perfectly with my own goals for family and legacy.”
Temoc Morfin, Founder of Cilantro Taco Grill, expressed his excitement about entering the Texas market, saying, “Expanding into Texas is a major milestone for our brand, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Hector. His proven track record as an area developer for Jersey Mike’s in Southern California makes him the ideal person to lead our growth in this region. The Celina location is full of promise, and we’re eager to see the impact it will have.”
Cilantro Taco Grill was founded in 2013 by Temoc Morfin, who was inspired to bring the family’s treasured flavors and recipes to the masses by his father, ‘Don Javi’ Morfin. Cilantro Taco Grill has since thrived in the competitive Chicagoland market, expanding to 15 open locations with 3 more in development opening in 2024. The brand is also expanding rapidly nationwide, with over 100 locations signed in Illinois, Texas, Florida, and California. The brand was also named one of America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casual Brands in 2024 by QSR, as well as ranked #32 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers.
Hector Haget (middle, white pants) with Cilantro Taco Grill and Fransmart’s team on site in Chicago, IL
Cilantro Taco Grill’s mission extends beyond sharing high-quality, authentic Mexican food; they are shattering barriers by empowering immigrant and Latino communities through franchising. In 2023, Cilantro Taco Grill launched its franchise opportunity with the support of the global leader in franchise development, Fransmart, and grammy-award winning artist, Armando Perez (Pitbull). Together, they aim to grow the next generation of Mexican fast casual concepts to more than 1,000 units worldwide over the next 10 years.
Ideal franchisees have prior franchise experience and share Cilantro Taco Grill’s vision to uplift local communities. Franchisees receive expert training and guidance from the Cilantro Taco Grill team through their Cilantro Academy, in addition to a high-end tech stack that features a consumer app launching in summer 2024, digital menu boards, and a highly popular rewards program. Cilantro Taco Grill also features multiple revenue streams for franchisees with a popular catering program and bottles of their ultra-popular house salsa consistently flying off shelves.
Franchisees who are interested in joining Cilantro’s mission to create wealth in marginalized communities can visit fransmart.com/cilantro-taco-grill to get started.
About Cilantro Taco Grill
Cilantro Taco Grill’s story begins with ‘Don Javi’ Morfin, who immigrated from Guadalajara, Jalisco to Chicago with his wife, Alicia, and 11 children. His son, Temoc Morfin, Cilantro Taco Grill’s founder, realized that sharing his ancestors’ recipes, flavors, and spices through culinary arts was his true passion and this way, he would be able to contribute to creating jobs and help others to be successful. Thanks to the collaborative effort of Temoc’s family, Cilantro Taco Grill was born as a fast-casual restaurant fueled by the authentic flavors of Mexico, the heart of Don Javi, and the vision of Temoc.
The first Cilantro Taco Grill opened in 2013 in the Stone Park neighborhood of Chicago. Since then, the Morfin family has opened 15 total locations across the greater Chicagoland area. The brand focuses on authentic Mexican recipes that showcase the flavors they brought with them from the heart of Jalisco. The brand’s exceptional unit economics and advanced tech-stack attracted the attention of Grammy Award winner Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull), who’s partnered with Fransmart’s CEO Dan Rowe to launch the nationwide franchising efforts for the brand. For more information, visit www.cilantrotacogrill.com.
About Fransmart
As the leading franchise development firm in the country, Fransmart turns emerging restaurant concepts into successful national and global brands. Founded by Dan Rowe, the man who identified and grew brands such as Five Guys Burgers & Fries and QDOBA Mexican Grill from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated 1 billion dollars in revenue to date. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com.
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