The Tacotarian Story | America's Largest Plant-Based Mexican Restaurant Chain

In 2018, two couples sat down with a shared conviction and a simple but audacious idea: that plant-based Mexican food could be so good, so authentically flavored, and so genuinely satisfying that it would win over people who had never considered eating vegan in their lives.

Seven years later, Tacotarian is the largest plant-based Mexican restaurant chain in the United States — with five locations across Las Vegas and Henderson, one in San Diego, a franchising program expanding nationally, and a guest list that includes some of the biggest names in entertainment, politics, and culture.

This is how it happened.

The Founders

Tacotarian was founded by two husband-and-wife couples: Carlos and Kristen Corral, and Dan and Regina Simmons.

Between them, they brought complementary skills, shared values, and a collective belief that Las Vegas — one of the most food-forward cities in the world — was ready for something genuinely different. Not a vegan restaurant that apologized for what it wasn't. A plant-based Mexican restaurant that was unapologetically, confidently, completely itself.

Together, they built a concept from scratch that has grown into a nationally recognized brand — without compromising a single thing about what they set out to create.

In 2025, the foursome were named Nevada's Small Business Persons of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration , one of the most prestigious small business honors in the country. It was recognition not just of the business they built, but of the community they created around it.

The Beginning: Las Vegas, 2018

The first Tacotarian opened in Las Vegas in 2018. The concept was straightforward and radical at the same time: a full-service, 100% plant-based Mexican restaurant where nothing on the menu was a compromise.

No sad substitutions. No "vegan option" buried at the bottom of a menu built for everyone else. Every single item , from the jackfruit birria to the seitan al pastor to the churros — was plant-based by design, made from scratch, and built to be the best version of itself.

Las Vegas noticed immediately.

The city that hosts the world's most discerning diners — where Michelin-starred restaurants compete for attention on every block — embraced Tacotarian because the food was simply exceptional. The word spread fast. The lines got long. The locations multiplied.

The Food: Scratch-Made, Flavor-First, Unapologetic

What separates Tacotarian from every other plant-based concept in the country is the kitchen.

Nearly every protein is made in-house. The seitan al pastor is marinated in achiote and pineapple and cooked to order. The jackfruit birria is braised low and slow in a house-made consommé that takes hours to develop properly. The salsas are made fresh daily. The tortillas are pressed on-site.

This is not a restaurant that sources plant-based meat alternatives and calls it a day. Tacotarian builds its proteins from scratch because that's the only way to achieve the depth of flavor that Mexican cuisine demands — and the only way to create the experience that makes 75% of the customer base people who don't even identify as vegan or vegetarian.

They come because the food is outstanding. The fact that it's plant-based is almost beside the point.

The Awards

Tacotarian's recognition from the industry has been consistent and significant:

Fast Casual Top 100 Movers and Shakers — 2025 and 2026 Fast Casual's annual list recognizes the most innovative and influential concepts in the restaurant industry. Tacotarian has earned a place on this list two consecutive years, alongside industry giants like Chipotle and Sweetgreen. Back-to-back recognition signals not just a great restaurant, but a brand with momentum.

SBA Small Business of the Year — Nevada, 2025 The U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Person of the Year award is one of the most competitive honors in American business. 

Yelp Top 100 Taco Shops in the US — 2025 Yelp's crowdsourced list of the top taco shops in America included Tacotarian — one of the few plant-based concepts on a list dominated by traditional taqueria. This recognition comes directly from customers, which makes it one of the most meaningful.

Best of Las Vegas — Multiple Years Las Vegas's most competitive dining awards, voted on by the community. Tacotarian has claimed this recognition multiple years running — in a city where the competition includes some of the best restaurants in the world.

Nation's Restaurant News — Hot Concepts List One of only five restaurant concepts nationally identified by Nation's Restaurant News as worth watching. A recognition that signals Tacotarian's trajectory well beyond Las Vegas.

The Celebrity Following

Great food attracts great people. Tacotarian's guest list over the years has included some of the most recognizable names in entertainment and public life.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Tacotarian — a moment that reflected both the restaurant's cultural standing and the mainstream appeal of plant-based dining at the highest levels.

Jared Leto, Zoë Kravitz, Keltie Knight, and Steve Aoki are among the celebrities who have been spotted dining at Tacotarian locations. And if the rumors are true, Katy Perry is a regular for to-go orders , though we'll let you draw your own conclusions about that one.

The pattern is consistent: people who care deeply about what they put in their bodies, who have access to the best restaurants in the world, and who choose Tacotarian when they're in Las Vegas. That's the most honest endorsement a restaurant can receive.

The Growth: From One Location to a National Brand

From a single Las Vegas location in 2018, Tacotarian has grown to six locations:

Las Vegas (5 locations):

• LV Strip / Miracle Mile — 3663 Las Vegas Blvd S, Unit G007, Las Vegas, NV 89109
• Downtown Las Vegas — 1130 S. Casino Center Blvd., #170, Las Vegas, NV 89104
• Southwest Las Vegas — 6135 S Fort Apache Rd, #402, Las Vegas, NV 89148
• South Las Vegas — 5025 Blue Diamond Rd., #111, Las Vegas, NV
• Henderson — 75 South Valle Verde Dr, #200, Henderson, NV 89012

San Diego (1 location):

• North Park — 4332 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

Each location serves the full Tacotarian menu ,  fresh tortillas, house salsas, and a full bar program including beer, margaritas, and margarita flights. The Strip location at Miracle Mile Shops brings plant-based Mexican food directly to the most visited stretch of road in America.

The Franchise: Bringing Tacotarian to America

In 2025, Tacotarian launched its franchise program — opening the concept to entrepreneurs across the country who want to bring plant-based Mexican food to their communities.

The franchise opportunity is built on the same foundation as the original: scratch-made proteins, an award-winning menu, a proven operational model, and a brand with national recognition. For entrepreneurs interested in the plant-based food space, Tacotarian represents a rare combination of category leadership, proven demand, and a concept that works for virtually every demographic.

The plant-based food market is projected to reach $162 billion globally by 2030. Tacotarian is already there — with the locations, the awards, the customer base, and the infrastructure to grow alongside it.

👉 Learn about franchising Tacotarian

Why It Works

The question we get asked most is some version of: why does Tacotarian work when so many plant-based concepts struggle?

The answer is always the same: because we never asked people to compromise.

We didn't build a restaurant for vegans and hope everyone else would come along. We built a restaurant for people who love great Mexican food  and made sure the food was exceptional enough that the plant-based part was irrelevant to the decision. 75% of our customers don't identify as vegan or vegetarian. They come because the birria is the best birria they've ever had. The al pastor is the best al pastor they've ever had. The fact that there's no meat in either of those statements is almost beside the point.

That's the Tacotarian difference. That's why it works. And that's why it's still growing.

Come Find Us

Six locations. Award-winning food. A story seven years in the making — and nowhere near finished.

📍 All Locations 🌮 View the Full Menu 🛒 Order Online 📦 Book Catering 🤝 Franchise Information ✉️ contact@eattacotarian.com 📞 Strip: 702-844-8284 | Downtown: 725-251-3853 | SW LV: 702-979-9329 | South LV: 702-780-4816 | Henderson: 725-205-3544 | San Diego: 619-432-1815