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From the filings

HQ-led decisions

BluTaco

Quick service restaurant

Software purchasing at BluTaco is controlled at the headquarters level, led by President and CEO Shawn Burcham and CFO Kyle Menges. The franchise mandates a specific Point of Sale (POS) system across its 26-unit, all-franchised network. With a 7.1% year-over-year unit decline, vendors face a concentrated but potentially renewal-rich target.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
26
26 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
-7.143%
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19
Royalty
Complete royalty terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
0%
percentage component
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$9K–$632K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.

FacebookMeta
MarketingItem 11

List your Restaurant on any Internet site we maintain that lists franchised or Company-owned BluTaco Restaurants operating under the System to the same extent as we list other BluTaco Restaurants generally. See “Internet Advertising,” below in this Item 11. Permit you to develop an Internet site. See “Internet Advertising,” below in this Item 11. Permit you to develop a site on Facebook and similar social network services collectively, the “Social Media Sites”). See “Internet Advertising,” below in this Item 11.

MicroSaleMicroSale
POSItem 6

8 BluTaco FDD 2026 A Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Type of FeeNote 1) Amount Due Date Remarks Proprietary Products Approval of $25 to $500 for each So that we actually Payable only if you request that we Suppliers supplier and item you receive reimbursement approve a supplier or the items a request that we by the end of 10 days supplier offers. approve after we request it Reporting $2,000 to $5,000 a year As required by supplier Our reporting service company Services converts data from your POS System into reports that help determine the best product mix for your Restaurant, profitability, and other matters. Our current reporting service company is MicroSale. Training for $3,500 plus the cost of As incurred If we arrive at your restaurant and Unpreparedness travel find you are unprepared to train Fee and therefore will prevent the restaurant from opening, you must pay us this fee. If the fee does not cover the cost of our travel to your restaurant, we reserve the right to charge you the remaining amount for the travel expenses. Manager Training $1,500 So that we actually See Note 6 receive reimbursement Payable only if we determine that by the end of 10 days you want us to train an after we request it unreasonable number of Managers Additional Not to exceed $120 an So that we actually See Note 7 Training hour receive reimbursement We will provide you with any by the end of 10 days additional training that we believe after we request it would benefit the System. Indemnification Varies under So that we actually You must reimburse us for losses circumstances receive reimbursement from claims, damage, or lawsuits by the end of 10 days related to the Franchise after we request it Agreement. Transfer of $2,500 On transfer See Note 8 Franchise Paid if you assign or transfer, with our written permission, the rights to the Franchise Agreement. Renovations Actual costs. As required by supplier See Note 9 No $ limit

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

15 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 8 explicit no's; 11 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

Our parent, Pro Food Systems, is an approved supplier; and the only approved supplier of the following Proprietary Products (the “Proprietary Products”): (i) Food Preparation Equipment; (ii) Cooking Equipment; (iii) Hot Food Cases; (iv) Food Inventory; and (v) Branded Packaging.

Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You will send at least one (1) individual to the annual GRITT Summit and Franchise Advisory Meeting.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

1106400

Item 8

During its fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, PFS received revenues of $1,106,400 from approved suppliers for purchases of Proprietary Products and/or other products at wholesale.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We and our Parent may enter into arrangements with these third parties under which we and our Parent receive revenue or other material benefit, like rebates, discounts, and allowances, as a result of consideration you or any of our other franchisees pay to the third parties.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

55

Item 8

approximately 55% to 80% of your total purchases and leases of products and services to operate your Franchised Business.

Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?

Yes

Item 6

Inventory; 8 BluTaco FDD 2026 A Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Type of FeeNote 1) Amount Due Date Remarks Proprietary Products Approval of $25 to $500 for each So that we actually Payable only if you request that we Suppliers supplier and item you receive reimbursement approve a supplier or the items a request…

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

You must obtain our approval of any alternative supplier of these items, and the products or services it offers, before you use the supplier.

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

we may, at any time the Restaurant(s) is required to be or is in fact open for business, without notice, enter onto the premises of the Restaurant(s) to determine your compliance with this Agreement

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Item 11

We have the right to modify the Operations Manual to reflect changes in products, services, specifications, standards and operating procedures, including marketing techniques.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 11

We must approve the Proposed Site.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

We require you to purchase or lease Proprietary Products and other products and services from us or our Parent.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must purchase, license, or otherwise obtain all products, equipment, services, supplies, and merchandise that we specify only from us, from our affiliates, from suppliers we designate, or from suppliers you select and we approve.

Payments

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Item 6

You must pay all fees you are required to pay us: i) in one lump sum; ii) by automatic debit or in another manner we may direct; iii) in United States dollars; and iv) so that we actually receive the payment by the end of the date the payment is due.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for Additional Training; however, the fee will not exceed our costs of developing and conducting the Additional Training, including our costs related to attending the training.

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You will send at least one (1) individual to the annual GRITT Summit and Franchise Advisory Meeting.

The filing answers no to 8 questions
  • Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
  • Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?Item 11
  • Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Item 11
  • Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 7
  • Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
  • Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 11

The vendor opportunity at BluTaco

BluTaco is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in Missouri with 26 franchised locations and no company-owned units. The brand’s unit count contracted by 7.1% year-over-year, signaling a network in transition. For software vendors, this creates a dual dynamic: a small but concentrated addressable market where every location operates under a single franchisor mandate, and a potential need for operational efficiency tools that could support turnaround or stabilization efforts. The franchisee base is entirely single-unit operators—22 mapped operators across roughly 22 located units—meaning no multi-unit franchisees hold sway over purchasing decisions. All technology adoption flows through the franchisor.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority sits at BluTaco’s headquarters. The FDD’s Item 1 lists Shawn Burcham as President and Chief Executive Officer and Kyle Menges as Chief Financial Officer. No dedicated Chief Information Officer or VP of Technology appears in the filing, which suggests that technology decisions are likely made by the CEO in conjunction with the CFO, with operational input from Senior Vice President of Operations Brock Blaise. Vendors should position their outreach around financial controls, operational simplicity, and franchisee compliance, as the leadership team appears lean and operationally focused. The absence of a parent company or private equity sponsor means decisions are made internally, without external portfolio-level technology mandates.

Mandated and current tech stack

BluTaco mandates a Point of Sale (POS) system across all franchised locations. The specific vendor or product name is not disclosed in the available FDD extract, leaving an open question for vendors who may want to position complementary or replacement solutions. Beyond the POS mandate, no other required or recommended technology systems—such as back-office, payroll, inventory, or online ordering platforms—are named in the filing. This gap may represent an opportunity for vendors in adjacent categories, provided they can demonstrate integration with whatever POS is currently in place. The all-franchised structure means any new mandated technology would need to be rolled out across 26 independent operators, a manageable but relationship-intensive deployment.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so BluTaco’s procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier list, or open market—remains undisclosed. This lack of transparency means vendors should approach with a consultative posture, prepared to navigate either a centralized purchasing process or a more flexible, franchisee-driven model. On contract timing, Item 17 reveals that franchise agreements automatically renew for consecutive 5-year or 3-year terms unless one party provides notice of non-renewal. With 26 units and recent net closures, renewal-driven technology evaluations may be infrequent but could cluster around franchise agreement cycles. Vendors should monitor any signs of system-wide refreshes or operational pivots that might open a window for new software discussions.

How to read the BluTaco FDD

The 2026 BluTaco Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators and provides the legal and operational baseline for the brand. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executive team), Item 11 (mandated systems), Item 8 (procurement restrictions), and Item 17 (renewal and termination terms). The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full filing. Use it to verify the decision-maker roster, confirm the current tech mandate, and assess any updates to procurement or renewal language that could affect your sales timing. For a ranked target list of franchise brands aligned with your software category, FranCloud can help.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

BluTaco, answered from the filing

President and CEO Shawn Burcham and CFO Kyle Menges are the key executives. The FDD lists no CIO, so finance and operations likely drive tech decisions.
The FDD mandates a Point of Sale (POS) system. The specific vendor or product name is not disclosed in the available Item 11 extract.
There are 26 total units, all franchised. The brand operates in five states, with Montana (4) and Kansas (3) holding the most locations.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement signal, so whether BluTaco uses designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open model is not disclosed.
Franchise agreements auto-renew for consecutive 5-year or 3-year terms. With 26 units and recent contraction, renewal-driven tech evaluations may be sporadic.
The 2026 BluTaco FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can read it using the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source

Read the filing itself

Read the original document for the filing figures and their terms, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.

BluTaco2026 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

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Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

22 operators run 22 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit22

Top states by locations

MT4
KS3
MN2
TX1
CA1

Ownership

The portfolio behind BluTaco

Ownership: Pro Food Systems.

Sibling brands

Champs ChickenHangar 54 Pizza

Related Quick service restaurant brands

Papa Murphy'sJersey Mike's SubsChatime FranchiseCici's PizzaMarco's FranchisingSubway

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.