Taco John's, Good Times ink co-branding pact

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (March 15)- Taco John's and Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard entered into a co-branding pact that will test a new tandem restaurant here starting in early April.The pact between Good Times Restaurants Inc. of Golden, Colo., and Cheyenne-based Taco John's International Inc. calls for the 410-unit taco chain to be a franchisee of Good Times. The initial co-branded outlet will be a complete remodel of an existing successful Taco John's that has been operating for 24 years, the company said. Taco John's hired Kathy Diamond of Kathy Diamond Design Associates and Juerg Schmid of Juerg Schmid Design Consultants to create an interior and exterior design for the dual-brand store. The consultants have worked with Taco John's on a redesign that is being rolled out this year among its corporate stores in Wyoming. "This test is a way for us to validate the opportunity outside of Good Times' core market and gauge the potential for significant expansion with what could be a very compelling growth vehicle, both in terms of its consumer appeal and the unit level return on investment," Boyd Hoback, the chain's president and chief executive, said. Good Times has 37 stores in Colorado, one in Boise, Idaho, and one on the campus of the University of Wyoming in Cheyenne. Taco John's already has co-branded stores with the Steak Escape and Maggie Moo's chains in some of the taco chain's Midwestern trading areas. "We think that providing consumers with more choices under one roof will be very positive," said Paul Fisherkeller, president and chief executive of Taco John's, which operates in 27 states.