Nation's Restaurant News: Fuzzy’s Taco Shop outlines plan for ‘controlled expansion’

There is a lot to celebrate after the first year of partnership between Fuzzy's Taco Shop and NRD Capital. According to a recent article by Nation's Restaurant News, the Fort Worth-based restaurant franchise has tripled their openings since NRD Capital acquired 70-percent of the company and fueled the brand's trajectory behind experience, strategy, and a franchisee-first focus.

“When we first started, Aziz and I had a conversation,” Mel Knight, president of Fuzzy's Taco Shop, told NRN. “I basically asked him what he was most concerned with as we partnered up. He said, quite frankly, it was the infrastructure to support our franchisees. He was right on target.”

Following up on the first year's success, Fuzzy's expects to open 30 locations by year's end. Aziz Hashim, managing partner of NRD Capital, created the fund to give emerging franchise concepts a way to reach the next level behind decades of franchise experience, resources, and strategic guidance - and Fuzzy's Taco Shop fit the type of franchise concept that he and the company are interested in.

“Most of the investors in our fund are franchisees, so unit economics are a huge factor for us,” Hashim told NRN. “What we saw in Fuzzy’s was not just amazing unit economics, but an amazing culture. The franchisees there are very highly regarded. It was a brand that was perfect for us.”