SelectOFALLON Business Spotlight: Tacos 4 Life
The best thing you should know about Tacos 4 Life is that this quick service restaurant franchise has provided more than 670,000 meals to children all over the world since opening in November 2021. This commitment to serving others is what fueled franchisee owner Matt Rose’s desire to bring this philanthropic restaurant concept to the O’Fallon food scene.
Tacos 4 Life’s mission – “craft tacos for a cause” – first caught Matt’s attention when he and his family of four stopped for a quick bite to eat while vacationing in Arkansas. The whole family is incredibly involved with their local church and was looking for additional ways to serve and connect with the residents of O’Fallon. As a self-starter already managing a business of his own, Matt jumped on this franchise opportunity to give back to the community he loved.
“O’Fallon was the perfect fit for a family-friendly, faith-based franchise,” says Matt. “From the youth baseball teams that gather in our dining room to our corporate customers grabbing a quick lunch from our drive-thru, the community has loved and supported us from the start.”
With the help of the SelectOFALLON team, Matt was able to convert his vision for the first Tacos 4 Life in the St. Louis region into reality. Now that Matt had settled on a location, the City of O’Fallon’s planning staff, construction plan reviewers and building inspection team went to work. These experienced professionals ensured construction went smoothly by providing clear instructions, helpful answers and timely approvals.
“The SelectOFALLON team provided us with the tools we needed to succeed,” says Matt. “They guided our location’s transformation in preparation for our grand opening. The process was smooth, and everyone was friendly and helpful.”
There was just one final step before the restaurant’s official launch – hiring staff. Matt knew Andy Kendall, a restaurant industry management veteran and long-time friend, was the perfect fit to lead as Tacos 4 Life operating manager. Despite persistent labor shortages in 2021, Matt and Andy were pleasantly surprised by the quality and size of their applicant pool. Thanks to Andy’s drive to build an excellent workplace environment, Tacos 4 Life employees feel valued, which makes a major difference when serving customers. Many of the Tacos 4 Life patrons constantly recognize staff members who have been serving them since day one.
“Andy cares deeply for his people,” says Matt. “We’ve had tremendous success with staffing under his leadership including family referrals from employees – we have multiple generations working for us.”
Most recently, Matt and the Tacos 4 Life team partnered with a local nonprofit, Feed the Need STL, to pack more than 870,000 meals.
“There is nothing else like Tacos 4 Life in O’Fallon or truly anywhere,” says Matt. “It’s a place where people gather, and I couldn’t be more proud.”