Owner Mahbub Zaman emigrated from Bangladesh in the 1980s to study at the University of North Texas. After graduation, he became an assistant general manager at Taco Bell, where he worked for 10 years. In 1996, he was promoted to a corporate position with parent company Pepsi Food Systems.
Not long after taking that job, he said, he felt stifled by the confines of traditional office life and began planning his exit route.
“I started to think about my own future and building something of my own,” he said.
A year later, Zaman opened Texas Food Land, an independent grocery store in south Dallas. In the parking lot, he set up a grill and began selling steak street tacos.
“That was the birthplace of Tacos Y Mas,” he said. “From there, we grew to where we are today.”
Tacos Y Mas now has seven locations across the metroplex, including two in Richardson. At the heart of its menu are traditional Mexican street tacos, which consist of chopped meat on a corn tortilla topped with onion, cilantro and salsa.
Diners can choose from eight meats— steak, chicken, al pastor, carnitas, barbacoa, bistec, lengua and tripa—all chopped, seasoned and marinated in-house. The menu also includes a selection of non-taco items, such as burritos, quesadillas and nachos. Breakfast is served all day, which Zaman said is one of the things that sets Tacos Y Mas apart from its competitors.
There is no limit to the brand’s growth, but Zaman said the only sustainable option is through franchising.
In the meantime, Zaman said he is focused on bringing Tacos Y Mas to more Collin County cities, such as Plano and McKinney. A Lewisville location opens this summer.
Tacos Y Mas
1600 N. Plano Road, Richardson
972-807-2153
101 S. Coit Road, Ste. 404, Richardson
214-484-1599
www.tacosymas.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
