Taco John's Appoints Ian Poole As Vice President of Development

Taco John's has named Ian Poole as vice president of development. In this role, Poole will focus on supporting the company's expansion and enhancing franchisee success by improving onboarding, real estate, and construction.

Poole previously served as vice president of development for Subway, where he led the North American development team and oversaw franchise sales, real estate, construction and design, equipment, business operations, and leasing for more than 22,000 restaurants. He has also contributed to the growth of brands such as Dunkin' and Planet Fitness. Additionally, Poole brings experience as a franchisee with Burger King, Popeyes, and Arby's through Ambrosia QSR.

Taco John's entered 2026 with plans for data-driven expansion following a year of foundational progress. The company is investing in its Path to Ownership process, providing franchisees with expanded support, succession planning, and ongoing systemwide communication. Expansion into non-traditional formats has been identified as a key growth area, with plans to pilot locations alongside experienced operators to validate performance.

Franchisees will have access to optimized menus for smaller footprints, simplified labor and production models, performance standards for high-traffic environments, and targeted marketing strategies for non-traditional locations. This approach is designed to enable development in high-demand locations with lower capital investment, while complementing Taco John's traditional development pipeline.

Taco John's operates more than 325 locations across 21 states and sees growth potential in the Upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. The company provides support for both new and multi-unit operators. According to the Taco John's Franchise Disclosure Document, the average unit volume for the top 25% of freestanding restaurants with drive-thru is $1,889,495, as reported in Item 19 of the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document.