Taquito News

California restaurant obsessed with taquitos unwraps new location in Hurst

Taquitos topped with queso and guacamole.

Photo courtesy of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos

A new restaurant concept from California has landed in Texas, staking a bold claim: Called Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, it calls itself the first place dedicated to taquitos, and who are we to disagree?

In mid-September, they opened their first Texas location in Garland, at 5949 Broadway Blvd. There's a location coming to Hurst, at 1842 Precinct Line Rd., opening in fall 2022. Locations in Pearland and Amarillo are in the works, as well.

Roll-Em-Up serves taquitos with a variety of fillings, along with key sides including corn on the cob, queso, and guacamole. There are five taquito options, including shredded beef, shredded chicken, potato, cheese, and avocado. Taquitos can be topped with cheese, spicy house sauce, guac sauce, queso sauce, and their "lit" sauce.

Other menu items include bacon beans, rice, bomb AF chips, churro doughnuts drizzled with caramel, and street corn with butter, mayo, and cotija cheese, with an optional dusting of Hot Cheetos and Tajin or coated in queso. You can get the corn on the cob or cut into a cup.

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos was founded by father-and-son Ron and Ryan Usrey, who debuted the concept in Chino Hills in 2019. The taquitos are hand-rolled and pan-fried to order in cast iron skillets, and the restaurants also boast a colorful interior with a bright and cheerful mural that runs the length of the back wall.

Taquitos, guacamole, and churro doughnuts make for a complete meal.Roll Em Up

There are tables for inhouse dining, but takeout is also a huge deal, with party packs of 25 or 50 taquitos, for $50 to $100, accompanied by shredded cheese, guac sauce, sour cream, mild sauce, and LIT sauce.

Restaurant operators David Weaver and Blake Terry, who have worked with many brands including Wingstop, The Catch, Burger House, Subway, Smashburger, and Rusty Taco, are bringing the concept to Texas.

They'll build and operate a percentage of stores, and also recruit and train future franchise partners in the region.

"Having great food is no longer enough in today's fast casual space and this is what made us thrilled about Roll-Em-Up," Weaver says in a statement. "The food, ambiance, and operations of Roll-Em-Up are outstanding, not to mention the reggae music playing in the background. It's a vibrant, fun, and delicious place to be and we had to be a part."

tex-mex openings

FroYo News

Fro-yo chain Orange Leaf makes Azle debut in time for the holidays

Photo courtesy of Orange Leaf

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A new frozen yogurt shop is bringing chilly delights to Azle: Called Orange Leaf, it’s a self-service fro-yo concept opening a new location at 828 Boyd Rd. #102, in a former chicken wing space.

According to a release, it will open on December 7.

Orange Leaf was founded in Oklahoma in 2008 and is known for its frozen yogurt, smoothies, shakes, superfood bowls, cake in a cup, and fro-yo cake.

They boast 12 flavors of yogurt, some distinctive such as toasted marshmallow, white chocolate strawberry, and birthday cake. As is often the case with self-serve shops, their machines are set up with two adjacent flavors so you can do a combo swirl. Toppings comprise more than 30 options, including fruit, cereals, nuts, boba, gummies, and cheesecake bites.

A cup of frozen yogurt goes for $8.

Bringing the chain to Azle are husband-and-wife Mike and Yvonne Higby. Mike is a retired Air Force veteran, and Yvonne was previously a paraprofessional for preschoolers in the Azle Independent School District.

According to a release, they chose to invest in Orange Leaf because they enjoyed the items as a treat with their two sons and wanted to connect with the community.

“I spent years in food service before joining the military, both of which allowed me the opportunity to connect with people, provide the best quality products and services and become a strong leader," says Mike in a statement. "The lessons learned along the way encouraged me to make a choice to take control of my life, which led me to entrepreneurship”

Orange Leaf is one of the brands under the portfolio of Brix Holdings, the Dallas-based restaurant franchise company. Sherif Mityas, CEO of Brix Holdings, shared excitement over the the couple leading the Azle opening.

“We’re confident that with their combined years of experience serving the nation and their community, they will provide an experience to their guests filled with care, passion and dedication,” says Mityas in a statement. “As we open our final Orange Leaf location for 2024, we are proud of our franchise partners and are eagerly looking ahead to the success of Orange Leaf Azle and many more locations to come in the new year.”

The opening of the new Azle store brings the chain to a total of 25 stores in Texas, including Austin, San Antonio, Spring, and Lake Worth. There are more than 60 locations across the nation.