Family Style: 50 Years of Taco John’s

Challenge

Celebrate 50 years and fuel the future

Taco John’s had come a long way since its founding in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1969. What began as a single taco stand had grown into a quick-service Mexican food chain with more than 350 restaurants across 23 U.S. states — a bold, beloved brand with a fiercely loyal customer base.

But to grow further, Taco John’s needed to do more than look back. It needed to tell its story in a way that looked forward, especially to prospective franchisees.

Echo was brought in to help the company celebrate its 50th anniversary with a commemorative book that would:

Honour the brand’s Western roots
Celebrate long-time employees and franchise partners
Highlight the culture and values instilled by the founding families
And serve as a recruitment tool for those considering a Taco John’s franchise

This wasn’t about nostalgia for its own sake. It was about showing the personality, grit, and momentum behind the company’s success.

Solution

A bold, brand-true anniversary book

We began with deep archival research, interviews with key team members, and close collaboration with Taco John’s marketing team.

Editorially, we mapped out the company’s growth story highlighting not just milestones, but the values that fuelled them. We included anecdotes from franchise owners, tributes to the chain’s signature flavours, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what makes the business tick.

Design-wise, the book leaned into the brand’s energy.

Features included:

A bright, bold colour palette in line with Taco John’s brand
Clean layouts with full-page food photography and team candids
Punchy, modern typography that amplified voice and energy
Design touches that mirrored the playfulness of fast-food culture, from visual puns to iconography
Gorgeous (and sometimes hilarious) period photography to show the evolution of the brand, the menu, and the larger culture

Part history, part brand anthem, the result was something that would resonate with seasoned franchise owners and first-time readers alike.

Result

A story that opens doors

The 50th anniversary book was shared with head office staff, franchise partners, suppliers, and potential new franchisees.
It told the story of a company that was proud of its past but still hungry for more.

It became a powerful visual anchor, showing exactly what new partners could expect: a proven model. A strong culture. And a story worth joining.

The feedback was immediate and enthusiastic.

The book offered clarity and character, two things that matter when you’re asking someone to invest in your brand.

ONE MORE COOL THING...

Bold enough to eat

Taco John’s wanted their anniversary book to look and feel like their brand: fun, fast-moving, and full of flavour.

But they also wanted to share how the story began.

Luckily, their own archives catalogued and preserved artifacts across the company’s 50 years, and Laramie University had created a second archive including employee photos, company records, packaging, advertisements, and other ephemera.

The final piece didn’t just tell a past story or a future story. It served up a whole brand experience, one that felt as fresh and satisfying as a Potato Olé run.

Want to show future partners what your brand is made of?

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