Tijuana Flats founder opens new Tex-Mex restaurant
There’s a new fast casual Tex-Mex food concept on the scene, and it’s called Big Taco. The eatery — which opened Nov. 14 — is the brainchild of Brian Wheeler, the man behind the successful Tijuana Flats restaurant chain that raked in $110 million in 2022 and employs 3,000 people, according to job site Zippia.
Tijuana Flats’ first restaurant opened in Winter Park in 1995. Wheeler also launched Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen in 2011.
Big Taco will be managed by Wheeler’s son, Jake, who said in a prepared statement, “We’re getting back to our roots. Our vision is to create the simple, rich flavors of authentic Tex-Mex.”
