Greenville-based taco franchise opens Duncan location

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A popular taco chain based in Greenville has opened a location in Duncan, the company’s eighth site.

Tipsy Taco Duncan opened on Feb. 10, and franchise partner Frank Roman said the franchise won’t stop growing there.

“From here on we will continue to grow and create as many jobs as possible and make a difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Roman said.

Roman comes from a music background and moved from Miami to Greenville about five years ago, he said. His cousin, Lazaro Montoto, who owns Tropical Grille, and who Roman grew up close with, showed him Greenville.

They opened a Cuban restaurant, which became Tipsy Taco, and everything is history after that, Roman said. Roman ended up franchising the Tipsy Taco Woodruff Road location, and now the restaurant group is owned and operated by a few different partners, including Tony King, founder of Tony’s Pizza & Subs.

Tipsy Taco has three locations in Greenville, and one each in Simpsonville, Greer, Seneca and Easley — and around 500 employees, Roman said.

The taco franchise is looking to also expand to Spartanburg, Anderson, Woodruff, Hendersonville and other locations in the Carolinas — strategic cities that aren’t over-saturated with a similar product, Roman added.

“We are providing jobs for a lot of people, contributing to foundations and charities, and we are very involved in our communities,” he said.

So, what sets Tipsy Taco apart?

Roman said, number one is the way they treat their employees.

“We appreciate all they do, and a business can’t run without them,” he said.

The partners are present in the restaurants, they don’t have a high turnover rate, because their people want to stay with them — and that trickles down to the customers, Roman said.

“If you have happy employees, people will perform for you and put pride behind their work, so the consumer gets a better product,” he said. “I’m a very competitive person. I want my store to outperform any other, and it’s all about service and ratings. I want to be the best and want to have the best employees.”

All eight Tipsy Taco locations are open for business and offer a gamut of tacos, quesadillas, margaritas and other Tex-Mex food and drink options.