Seattle - 21 October, 2003 -

Seattle-based Taco Del Mar said it has signed up a master developer for Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as well as the city of Spokane. Todd Hicks, a former Subway Restaurants franchise owner in Western Washington, will recruit franchisees and build stores throughout the territory, Taco Del Mar said. There are currently two fast-casual Mexican Taco Del Mar restaurants in Montana, one in Bozeman and the other in Great Falls. Additionally, two stores in Boise, Idaho, are under way. The master-developer method has become the technique of choice for many of the largest restaurant chains, including two of Taco Del Mar's biggest lunchtime competitors, Subway and Quiznos Sub. The structure keeps overhead modest. Instead of hiring a network of area representatives to sell franchises, that work is handled by the area developer. On the downside, the company must share the royalty stream with the developer. The approach could accelerate the chain's growth. Taco Del Mar's first master developer, for the territory of Oregon and Clark County, Wash., got started this summer, as did master developers in Arizona and Utah.

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