Monkey see, monkey do: Taco John's hires a simian spokesman to update its cowboy image and hawk its West-Mex fare.(Storyboard)

Chain Leader, October, 2004 by Littman, Margaret

First there was "Tex-Mex." Then "Fresh-Mex." Now comes "West-Mex." That's the new moniker Cheyenne, Wyo.-based Taco John's has created to distinguish its not-so-traditional Mexican last food. Unlike the more ubiquitous Tex-Mex, which applies to any Southwest take on Mexican cooking, Taco John's thinks West-Mex will be its signature cuisine, a steak-and-potatoes approach to south of the border cooking.

The positioning makes sense for the chain. Taco John's is looking to solidify its points of difference from category leaders such as Taco Bell, as well as newer competitors including Chipotle and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill. "There is Mexican food everywhere now. There's a burrito on the menu cat Sonic. It was time to sharpen our image," says Brian Dixon, vice...

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