Unwrap the Original

Taco John's began as a small taco stand in Cheyenne, Wyoming, named "Taco House" that opened in 1968. John Turner started the Taco House restaurant in March 14, 1969, after being stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne and serving in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He sold the franchise rights to James Woodson and Harold W. Holmes, who in 1969 changed the name to Taco John's.

Born in 1919 in Chariton, Iowa, Holmes's first job was as an auctioneer. He and his wife, the former Nona Zimmerman, later operated a furniture store in Cheyenne and also owned Holmes Camper Exchange, which manufactured campers and travel trailers under the name of "Holmes on Wheels," and Holmes Equipment and Supplies, which produced stainless steel restaurant equipment nationwide until 2013.

James Woodson, born June 9, 1921 in Cheyenne, was also an entrepreneur who had owned a cab company and then Woodson Realty. Holmes and Woodson together created Woodson-Holmes Enterprises, which acquired the restaurant franchise rights from Turner. The name was changed to Taco John's in recognition of Turner and the company name became Taco John’s International, Inc.

As of May 2014, the company had 404 restaurants spread throughout Wyoming and 24 other states. Several new outlets opened in 2011, and another was under construction in 2012 in Longmont, Colorado. Holmes, who was also a pilot, died in 2012 of heart complications at the age of 92 in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Woodson died at the age of 87 in 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

While Taco John's targeted smaller Midwestern and Western communities in its early years, the chain has recently begun to open in larger metropolitan areas like Denver and Kansas City, where they've had a minor presence since the 1980s. Taco John's also operates several outlets serving the U.S. Armed Forces through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES). Taco Bell declined to participate

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Taco John's[www.tacojohns.com]