Torchy’s Tacos new menu. (Courtesy of Torchy’s Tacos)
Austin’s homegrown taco chain, Torchy’s Tacos, is closing several restaurants across multiple states as part of an early 2026 operational shakeup – including a restaurant here in Texas.
Torchy’s origins trace back to 2006 in Austin, when Mike Rypka founded the business as a food trailer concept. Since then, it’s grown to approximately 120 to 130 restaurants across 16 states.
Now, that footprint is waning as the business unveiled plans to close seven restaurants within Ohio, Florida, Arizona, Georgia and Texas, according to a report from Nation’s Restaurant News published on Tuesday, January 27. Those impacted restaurants will officially close on Tuesday, February 3, including:
2 restaurant closures in Columbus, Ohio
2 restaurant closures in the Orlando, Florida area
1 restaurant closure in Queen Creek, Arizona
1 restaurant closure on Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, Georgia
1 restaurant closure in Stafford, Texas
“We’re incredibly grateful to the team members who have dedicated their time and energy to these locations, as well as to the guests who supported us over the years,” a Torchy’s Tacos spokesperson said in a statement to NRN. “It’s been a privilege to be part of this community, and we hope to return in the future when the time and place are right.”
These latest impacts follow closures in Phoenix, Kansas City, Missouri and Virginia last year, NRN added, and precede an upcoming restaurant opening in Zionsville, Indiana on February 2. Back in October 2025, the Austin Business Journal reported on Torchy’s newest CEO, Paul Macaluso, and his plans to elevate Torchy’s presence to 200 stores by 2030, up approximately 75 units.
MySA reached out to Torchy’s Tacos about any potential future closures in the Texas market. We will update this story once we receive a response.
This article originally published at Austin-founded Torchy’s Tacos shutters 7 restaurants, including Texas.