Tuesday, February 21, 2023

[EXCLUSIVE] New Taco Joint Coming to Decatur

A new location of Rusty Taco is coming to Decatur.  The Texas-born chain, previously owned by Atlanta-based Inspire Brands, is slated to be among the first retail tenants in the new 194 unit Modera Decatur (163 Clairemont Avenue) mid-rise multifamily development at the corner of Clairemont Avenue and Commerce Avenue, close to downtown Decatur.  The new restaurant will be roughly 2,600 square feet and include an outdoor patio, too.  

The new Decatur Rusty Taco could be the first to open in metro Atlanta.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past November that another Rusty Taco is planned for Summerhill Station, the new Publix-anchored development in Summerhill, close to to Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field.)  

College Park-based MBC Concessions, an operator known primarily for airport restaurants, is the franchisee of the Decatur Rusty Taco, according to documents reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta.  

It's true that Decatur is home to several Atlanta-based chains - Farm Burger, Mellow Mushroom, Chick-fil-A, Waffle House and Taqueria del Sol among them - but regional and national chains have not fared as well.  For its part, the City of Decatur literally has an ongoing citywide promotion called “Keep It Indie-catur” designed to remind the community to shop and dine locally.

According to the Rusty Taco website, the restaurant features a variety of street tacos, breakfast tacos, taco bowls, nachos, breakfast bowls, sides, desserts and the all-important assortment of margaritas.  

The Rusty Taco menu is similar in many ways to that of Fuzzy's Taco Shop, another Texas-born chain that was itself acquired this past December by Dine Brands Global Inc., owners of IHOP and Applebee's.  Fuzzy's previously operated Georgia locations in Athens, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Statesboro and Snellville, but all have since closed.  

Inspire Brands (Dunkin', Arby's, Sonic, Jimmy John's, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc.)  announced this past December that it had sold Rusty Taco.  The Atlanta-based restaurant franchisor sold the 32 unit taco joint to Gala Capital Partners, a Southern California-based private equity firm.  Rusty Taco was acquired by Inspire in 2018 as part of its acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings.  

Alliance Kitchen, a ghost kitchen collective operated by Inspire Brands, opened during fall 2021 on Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard in West Midtown and offered menu items from all six Inspire Brands, but offerings from Rusty Taco were removed following the chain's sale to Gala.  

Have you ever been to a Rusty Taco?  Who in Atlanta do you think offers the best street taco?  Do you think Rusty Taco will find success in Decatur?  

Please share your thoughts below.  

6 comments:

Carl said...

I think they would do pretty good over there...

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to Torchy’s entering market? Haven’t heard any thing since pandemic put a hold on it.

Anonymous said...

When I was in Texas the end of last year, I ate at a taco place called Fuego Tortilla Grill in College Station. Their tacos and operations blew away all the other taco places I have visited. It appears to be a local chain with four locations, all in college towns in Texas. If you find yourself near one of them you should give it a try.

clark lemons said...

I doubt they will be successful and I hope they won't.

Anonymous said...

Good to see Rusty Taco join the Atlamta lineup.

Anonymous said...

fuego tortilla is on barrett pkwy east of 575

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