The first standalone BluTaco restaurant is officially open for business in Holts Summit.
Food service company PFSbrands, known for hot food brands Champs Chicken and Cooper's Express, launched the southwestern Mexican restaurant chain last summer as a "business-within-a-business" model.
The new freestanding, corporate-owned restaurant at 135 City Plaza in Holts Summit - a half-mile from PFSbrands' headquarters - is intended to serve as a "living laboratory" to experiment with menu items, according to a news release.
"We are proud to open up this new restaurant and bring more variety and job opportunities to Holts Summit," PFSbrands founder and CEO Shawn Burcham said in the news release. "This community will play a pivotal role in the development and expansion of BluTaco across the nation by providing feedback to new products or concepts."
BluTaco's menu includes burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads. The Holts Summit restaurant also will offer new proteins and topping options, as well as dessert, according to PFSbrands' news release.
The new BluTaco mobile app allows customers to order ahead and pick up their food at a drive-up window. The app also gives customers a way to earn points toward free food.
Another BluTaco location had operated inside Capital Mall in Jefferson City since last July, but the franchisee opted to close it in January.
The Holts Summit restaurant celebrated its grand opening Feb. 4 by offering the first 10 people in line free tacos for a year. A ribbon-cutting is planned Monday.
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