{"id":1820880,"date":"2026-09-23T11:36:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/news\/mikes-red-tacos-signs-15-unit-michigan-deal-with-a-seasoned-multi-brand-operator\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:14:42","slug":"mikes-red-tacos-signs-15-unit-michigan-deal-with-a-seasoned-multi-brand-operator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/news\/mikes-red-tacos-signs-15-unit-michigan-deal-with-a-seasoned-multi-brand-operator\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike’s Red Tacos Signs 15-Unit Michigan Deal With a Seasoned Multi-Brand Operator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mike’s Red Tacos, the San Diego-born birria franchise concept<\/a> now backed by LeBron James, has signed a 15-unit franchise development agreement covering markets across Michigan. The deal is led by Michael Khalil, a multi-brand franchisee<\/a> who operates 11 Little Caesars and 14 Jersey Mike’s locations, and represents the brand’s first significant presence in the Midwest.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mike’s Red Tacos<\/strong> was founded by Mike Touma<\/strong>, who launched a San Diego food truck in 2020 after developing birria recipes as the style surged across social media. The brand opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in August 2022, followed by a second location in May 2024. In early 2025, the company brought in a team of restaurant industry professionals with experience scaling fast-casual concepts, and has since logged more than 300 franchise<\/a> development commitments<\/strong> nationwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2026, global entrepreneur LeBron James<\/strong> took a direct equity stake through his investment firm Main Street Advisors, a move the brand described as a reflection of conviction in the leadership team and long-term growth strategy, not a brand ambassadorship.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mike’s Red Tacos<\/p>\n <\/a>\n

The Birria Experience<\/p>\n <\/div>\n