Built Different Brands Bringing Mike's Red Tacos to Florida

Built Different Brands has agreed to a 36-unit deal to bring Mike's Red Tacos to the greater Tampa and Orlando regions and Florida's East Coast. Kal Gullapalli, CEO of Built Different Brands, is expected to bring Mike's Red Tacos' signature birria and famous red tacos to Florida over the next several years. The first location is planned for 2027.

Gullapalli has spent his career building Built Different Brands into a multi-brand, multi-unit franchise platform. The company operates more than 80 locations across brands like Dave's Hot Chicken, Marco's Pizza, and PopUp Bagels. The company operates both household names and emerging concepts.

The full team's extensive restaurant ownership experience makes them a strong fit to lead Mike's Red Tacos' expansion into Florida. "Birria and consomé offer a craveable, shareable experience with genuine authenticity that has a real draw for consumers," Gullapalli said. "In addition to the incredible menu, our team has already built the well-oiled machine needed to work through site selection and real estate considerations as we grow Mike's Red Tacos across Florida.

The birria is enough to make this brand stand out, but it's truly the people behind the company who will drive its success." The brand is best known for its craveable birria, signature consomé dip, and bold visual restaurant identity. "Kal and the Built Different Brands team lead large-scale restaurant brands and have the industry know-how we look for in franchisees," said Vincent Montanelli, president of Mike's Red Tacos.

"I'm confident residents across Florida will come to love Mike's as much as we do. As we advance our nationwide franchise growth strategy, we're focused on bringing experienced operators like Kal into the system who have the infrastructure and expertise to bring our vision to life. We look forward to seeing what his team accomplishes across Florida."