Two veteran Jersey Mike's operators will build 18 birria-focused restaurants across Los Angeles and Orange County, betting on a four-year-old brand.
Mike's Red Tacos has signed an 18-unit franchise agreement with JM Foods to open restaurants across Los Angeles and Orange County. The San Diego beef birria concept, which started as a 2021 food truck, is handing two of California's most competitive markets to operators who already run 25 Jersey Mike's locations, a sign that experienced franchisees are placing bets on young, social-media-driven concepts.
JM Foods partners Victor Fiss and John Thomas have worked together for more than 30 years and operate 25 Jersey Mike's units with eight more in development. Their existing infrastructure, including real estate relationships, hiring pipelines and back-office systems, lets them absorb a new brand without building from zero. For a concept with only a handful of open locations, signing operators of that scale buys instant credibility and execution capacity.
Mike's built demand through a distinctive product and a heavy social following among Millennial and Gen Z guests, leaning on its "the dip is worth the drip" identity. The company says more than 200 units are already committed nationwide, with backing from Dave's Hot Chicken's former CEO Bill Phelps. That pedigree borrows the Dave's playbook of pairing a viral product with disciplined multi-unit operators.
The gap between commitments and open units is where birria brands get tested. Mike's runs only a few proven restaurants, so the model still has to show it travels across markets and survives the move from food-truck novelty to repeatable franchise. Operators eyeing the brand should weigh build costs and birria supply chains against the marketing momentum.
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