After a record year of growth, Cilantro Taco Grill is set to open outside Chicagoland for the first time in April 2025, a significant milestone following the brand’s first franchise opening in November. The nation’s fastest-growing authentic Mexican fast-casual franchise secured six franchise agreements in 2024, bringing 110 units into development in its first full year of franchising. With the QSR industry projected to grow by 5.4%, reaching $321.8 billion in 2025, Cilantro Taco Grill is well-positioned for continued expansion this year.
“As we continue to expand into new communities, it’s fulfilling to know more guests will taste the authentic flavors of Jalisco and the love my family has put into the recipes from our home country of Mexico,” said Temoc Morfin, Founder and CEO of Cilantro Taco Grill. “What started as a small taqueria with my family is now a thriving franchise further fueling the American Dream. Cilantro Taco Grill will always stay true to our mission – serving the food I grew up eating in Mexico and uplifting immigrant families like my own.”
Milestones in 2024:
Franchise Growth: In 2024, Cilantro Taco Grill awarded six franchise deals across four states, adding 110 units to the brand’s 17 corporate-owned locations around the Chicagoland area.
First Franchise Opening: Just over a year after launching its franchising opportunity, Cilantro Taco Grill opened its first-ever franchise location in Wheeling, IL.
Major Deal with Florida Franchisee: Cilantro Taco Grill secured a massive 100-unit deal with seasoned restaurant operators Alex and Max Dreevs to develop locations in Florida.
Awards & Recognition: Cilantro Taco Grill was named one of America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casual Brands in 2024 by QSR.
New Corporate Leadership: The brand’s success in 2024 is also attributed to the addition of new team members with unique expertise, who have helped bridge critical gaps and further strengthened the corporate team.
Commissary Partnership: Cilantro Taco Grill partnered with U.S. Foods to establish a commissary in Houston, TX, ensuring consistent quality and supply of meats across all locations.
“Cilantro Taco Grill is redefining the Mexican fast-casual space with its authentic flavors from south of the border,” said Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, Cilantro Taco Grill’s exclusive franchise development partner. “While others try to replicate ‘authentic’ Mexican cuisine, Cilantro Taco Grill and the Morfins’ recipes are as real as it gets. After a phenomenal year of growth in 2024, we’re incredibly optimistic about 2025 and beyond.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Cilantro Taco Grill is planning to open seven new locations, including three out-of-state expansions in Texas and Florida, along with four new locations in Illinois. These openings come less than two years after Cilantro Taco Grill launched its franchise opportunity with the support of the global leader in franchise development, Fransmart. 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.
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 18 open locations as of March 2025. The brand is also expanding rapidly nationwide, with over 100 locations signed in Illinois, Texas, Florida, and California.
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. 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
Interested in joining one of the fastest-growing Mexican fast-casual brands in the country? Visit fransmart.com/cilantro-taco-grill to learn more about franchise opportunities.
