What's real sweet for customers like the Tulis is, simply, the food. Taco Maker officials say what sets their food apart from the competition is freshness. That's why an outlet like the one in Centerville can compete despite a half-dozen other fast-food options within a stone's throw.

"The food we make is such a good quality," Moss said. "It's the freshness. Not too many people out there can match that, and I think that's what brings a lot of our regulars back. . . . That's what the customers tell us: 'It's fresh. It's hot.' "

The Mexican fast-food industry is exploding, but Krolak said that wasn't the case in 1978.

"We saw a definite need for things to be done differently and how we could do them differently," he said.

Taco Maker works with U.S. Foodservice to get just the right specifications met for its food, from ingredients and sauces to the proper size of tortillas.

"We do have better food. We have stores that are right next door to Del Taco — right next door! — and we do a great business there. People have to drive past Del Taco to get to our driveway, and they do. By putting our brands together, we now appeal to a broader marketplace. At the time (the company was founded), there was just a need for good Mexican food, so we got into the business and started moving along," Krolak said.

Taco Maker U.

But Krolak said that "by far" the biggest contributor to The Taco Maker's success is training. While many people know about McDonald's "Hamburger U.," The Taco Maker University was established in 1978 to ensure that owners and operators sing from the same procedural songbook.

"We offer more training than any other franchise food outlet," Krolak said.

The bulk of the training typically occurs within the last month before an outlet opens. It is preceded by a correspondence course that can take several days to complete. The Taco Maker University training follows — 19 days spent in Ogden, featuring both in-restaurant experience and classroom instruction, plus nightly homework.

"When they're finished, they know everything they need to know to start an outlet," Krolak said.

What's more, the company sends out a couple of operations people for two weeks on-site through a restaurant opening to help the franchisee teach employees.

"The most important thing is to teach them how to teach others to be successful, and I think that's one of our strengths, that we spend so much of our time on training," Krolak said.

Another ingredient in the corporation's success is the flexibility franchisees have about how their outlet will look. Several restaurants are of the free-standing variety, but many Taco Maker/Jake's are in food courts, strip malls, convenience stores, truck stops, airports and office buildings.