As Dillas Primo Quesadillas begins accelerating its franchise growth, one state is increasingly standing out: Tennessee.
The QSR+ quesadilla concept has already seen notable interest from consumers in Tennessee through organic and paid digital traffic, giving Dillas another reason to take a closer look at the state. But for co-founder Kyle Gordon, the appeal goes much deeper than website engagement. From its demographics and Southern food culture to its community-oriented cities and towns, Tennessee shares many of the characteristics that have helped Dillas succeed across Texas and Louisiana.
“We think Tennessee looks a lot like Texas,” Gordon said. “At the end of the day, our purpose is to build community through primo quesadillas and meals. For the most part, I think the demographics are great, and there are a lot of communities that are willing and happy to support a new restaurant, especially one where it’s a two-way street, not a one-way street.”
That distinction is central to how Dillas approaches expansion. The brand does not want to simply put restaurants into new communities. It wants franchisees who will become part of those communities.
“We want it to be the community restaurant, not just a restaurant in the community,” Gordon said. “They’re going to give back, hire people from the community and build all those great organizational and community pillars that are there.”
Dillas opened its first restaurant in 2013 and spent more than a decade growing deliberately before placing a larger emphasis on franchising. Today, the system includes company-owned restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as franchised locations in Louisiana and East Texas.
That geographic track record has given the leadership team evidence that the concept can travel beyond its home market.
“We’ve had a lot of success in Texas, and we’ve had a lot of success in Louisiana,” Gordon said. “So we’re looking at a lot of areas in the Southeast because they love this kind of Tex-Mex product, chips and queso and quesadillas. We think they’re a great extension of what we’ve already been building.”
Tennessee fits naturally into that growth plan. Gordon said Nashville and Knoxville are two markets worth exploring, though Dillas sees opportunity in several of the state’s larger population centers.
“I would say all of them,” Gordon said of the Tennessee opportunity. “For us, we don’t require a tremendous amount of density in terms of population. We don’t require really high household incomes. We’re definitely looking to have discussions with people who believe in their community and believe that there’s going to be demand for the product we’re trying to put out there and who want to have great operations.”
Rather than relying exclusively on the largest, highest-income metropolitan areas, that flexibility gives Dillas the ability to consider a broader spectrum of Tennessee markets.
“We’re not talking about the tiny towns,” Gordon said. “But pick the city. I think there would be a discussion to be had.”
Part of Dillas’ confidence in entering another state comes from the variety of restaurants it has already operated.
Over more than a decade, the brand has gained experience with small markets, larger cities, college communities and multiple real estate formats. That includes freestanding drive-thru restaurants, end-cap drive-thrus and second-generation restaurant spaces.
“We’ve got a lot of diverse real estate,” Gordon said. “We’ve got small-market real estate. We’ve got big-city real estate. We have many real estate platforms, whether it’s an end-cap drive-thru, whether it’s a freestanding drive-thru, second-generation opportunities. We have multiple college-market locations that have been very successful for us.”
That experience matters as Dillas looks toward a state like Tennessee, where potential franchisees could be evaluating opportunities ranging from major metro areas to college markets and smaller regional hubs.
Before putting more emphasis on franchise growth, Dillas spent time tightening up the restaurant model itself. In 2025, the brand simplified the menu, improved purchasing and made operational changes aimed at speed and accuracy. The result is a concept currently generating average unit volumes of roughly $2 million, according to the brand.
“We knew if we were going to hit our goals for growth, the brand needed to be refined one level extra,” Gordon said. “Now we’re kind of launching into not only continuing our company’s growth, but finding the right people to partner with to really grow Dillas.”
One of the model’s defining characteristics is its drive-thru business, which accounts for roughly half of sales. Dillas has designed its quesadilla-making process around throughput, allowing restaurants to flow-cook a product that is often treated as a slower, made-to-order menu item elsewhere.
That combination of operational simplicity, familiar food and convenience could give Tennessee franchisees a model capable of fitting into a variety of trade areas.
Dillas may have grown from Texas, but Gordon does not characterize its menu as traditional Mexican food. Instead, the quesadilla serves as a vehicle for flavors customers already recognize.
“One of the unique things about our quesadillas is that it’s not really true Mexican food,” Gordon said. “If you looked at our menu, it’s kind of familiar Southern flavors that are just in a quesadilla vehicle.”
That distinction is another reason Gordon believes Tennessee could be especially receptive to the brand. “It is very comfortable and approachable, especially if you’re in that Southern band flavor-wise,” he said. “I think it’s just something that everyone will recognize those flavors and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love quesadillas.’ It’s other things that I like in a quesadilla. The cuisine meets and matches the people.”
That accessibility has been a major component of Dillas’ broader growth thesis. Instead of entering an unfamiliar market with an unfamiliar cuisine, the brand can introduce consumers to a new restaurant concept through a product they already understand.
For Dillas, however, the market opportunity will ultimately depend on more than demographics or restaurant sites. Leadership is looking for franchisees who share its approach to community involvement and operations.
Community marketing has been part of the Dillas playbook since the first restaurant opened. Before the brand had a substantial marketing budget, the team built awareness by attending local events, supporting schools and getting food directly into customers’ hands.
“When you go in with that mindset and you walk into a school and say, ‘Hey, how can we help?’ the response is often, ‘We need food for this,’ or ‘We need prizes for the teachers,’” Gordon said. “That’s how you start to build community.”
It is also why Tennessee stands out. Gordon sees similarities between the values that have fueled the brand in Texas and Louisiana and the culture Dillas encounters throughout Tennessee.
“They’ve got those Southern roots,” he said. “They’ve got the culture and the hospitality and the friendliness that all align with the core values of Dillas. I think that’s what I’m most excited about: the people there that we can serve. That makes the big difference.”
Rather than racing across the country, Dillas intends to grow strategically from the markets where its model has already performed successfully. Tennessee represents exactly that kind of opportunity: geographically logical, culturally aligned and already generating interest in the brand.
“We’re being very strategic about the different population centers that we’re going after to grow the brand,” Gordon said. “With the success that we’ve had with the locations that we do, we think that it is a natural extension to grow it in the Southeast before we take it anywhere else.”
For prospective Tennessee operators, that means the opportunity is not simply to bring another restaurant into the state. Dillas is looking for partners who want to introduce a distinctive concept, build local relationships and become part of the communities they serve.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
Dillas Quesadillas
SPONSORED
After proving its quesadilla concept across Texas and Louisiana, Dillas sees Tennessee as a natural next step for a community-driven restaurant brand built for a wide range of Southern markets.
As Dillas Primo Quesadillas begins accelerating its franchise growth, one state is increasingly standing out: Tennessee.
The QSR+ quesadilla concept has already seen notable interest from consumers in Tennessee through organic and paid digital traffic, giving Dillas another reason to take a closer look at the state. But for co-founder Kyle Gordon, the appeal goes much deeper than website engagement. From its demographics and Southern food culture to its community-oriented cities and towns, Tennessee shares many of the characteristics that have helped Dillas succeed across Texas and Louisiana.
“We think Tennessee looks a lot like Texas,” Gordon said. “At the end of the day, our purpose is to build community through primo quesadillas and meals. For the most part, I think the demographics are great, and there are a lot of communities that are willing and happy to support a new restaurant, especially one where it’s a two-way street, not a one-way street.”
That distinction is central to how Dillas approaches expansion. The brand does not want to simply put restaurants into new communities. It wants franchisees who will become part of those communities.
“We want it to be the community restaurant, not just a restaurant in the community,” Gordon said. “They’re going to give back, hire people from the community and build all those great organizational and community pillars that are there.”
Dillas opened its first restaurant in 2013 and spent more than a decade growing deliberately before placing a larger emphasis on franchising. Today, the system includes company-owned restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as franchised locations in Louisiana and East Texas.
That geographic track record has given the leadership team evidence that the concept can travel beyond its home market.
“We’ve had a lot of success in Texas, and we’ve had a lot of success in Louisiana,” Gordon said. “So we’re looking at a lot of areas in the Southeast because they love this kind of Tex-Mex product, chips and queso and quesadillas. We think they’re a great extension of what we’ve already been building.”
Tennessee fits naturally into that growth plan. Gordon said Nashville and Knoxville are two markets worth exploring, though Dillas sees opportunity in several of the state’s larger population centers.
“I would say all of them,” Gordon said of the Tennessee opportunity. “For us, we don’t require a tremendous amount of density in terms of population. We don’t require really high household incomes. We’re definitely looking to have discussions with people who believe in their community and believe that there’s going to be demand for the product we’re trying to put out there and who want to have great operations.”
Rather than relying exclusively on the largest, highest-income metropolitan areas, that flexibility gives Dillas the ability to consider a broader spectrum of Tennessee markets.
“We’re not talking about the tiny towns,” Gordon said. “But pick the city. I think there would be a discussion to be had.”
Part of Dillas’ confidence in entering another state comes from the variety of restaurants it has already operated.
Over more than a decade, the brand has gained experience with small markets, larger cities, college communities and multiple real estate formats. That includes freestanding drive-thru restaurants, end-cap drive-thrus and second-generation restaurant spaces.
“We’ve got a lot of diverse real estate,” Gordon said. “We’ve got small-market real estate. We’ve got big-city real estate. We have many real estate platforms, whether it’s an end-cap drive-thru, whether it’s a freestanding drive-thru, second-generation opportunities. We have multiple college-market locations that have been very successful for us.”
That experience matters as Dillas looks toward a state like Tennessee, where potential franchisees could be evaluating opportunities ranging from major metro areas to college markets and smaller regional hubs.
Before putting more emphasis on franchise growth, Dillas spent time tightening up the restaurant model itself. In 2025, the brand simplified the menu, improved purchasing and made operational changes aimed at speed and accuracy. The result is a concept currently generating average unit volumes of roughly $2 million, according to the brand.
“We knew if we were going to hit our goals for growth, the brand needed to be refined one level extra,” Gordon said. “Now we’re kind of launching into not only continuing our company’s growth, but finding the right people to partner with to really grow Dillas.”
One of the model’s defining characteristics is its drive-thru business, which accounts for roughly half of sales. Dillas has designed its quesadilla-making process around throughput, allowing restaurants to flow-cook a product that is often treated as a slower, made-to-order menu item elsewhere.
That combination of operational simplicity, familiar food and convenience could give Tennessee franchisees a model capable of fitting into a variety of trade areas.
Dillas may have grown from Texas, but Gordon does not characterize its menu as traditional Mexican food. Instead, the quesadilla serves as a vehicle for flavors customers already recognize.
“One of the unique things about our quesadillas is that it’s not really true Mexican food,” Gordon said. “If you looked at our menu, it’s kind of familiar Southern flavors that are just in a quesadilla vehicle.”
That distinction is another reason Gordon believes Tennessee could be especially receptive to the brand. “It is very comfortable and approachable, especially if you’re in that Southern band flavor-wise,” he said. “I think it’s just something that everyone will recognize those flavors and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love quesadillas.’ It’s other things that I like in a quesadilla. The cuisine meets and matches the people.”
That accessibility has been a major component of Dillas’ broader growth thesis. Instead of entering an unfamiliar market with an unfamiliar cuisine, the brand can introduce consumers to a new restaurant concept through a product they already understand.
For Dillas, however, the market opportunity will ultimately depend on more than demographics or restaurant sites. Leadership is looking for franchisees who share its approach to community involvement and operations.
Community marketing has been part of the Dillas playbook since the first restaurant opened. Before the brand had a substantial marketing budget, the team built awareness by attending local events, supporting schools and getting food directly into customers’ hands.
“When you go in with that mindset and you walk into a school and say, ‘Hey, how can we help?’ the response is often, ‘We need food for this,’ or ‘We need prizes for the teachers,’” Gordon said. “That’s how you start to build community.”
It is also why Tennessee stands out. Gordon sees similarities between the values that have fueled the brand in Texas and Louisiana and the culture Dillas encounters throughout Tennessee.
“They’ve got those Southern roots,” he said. “They’ve got the culture and the hospitality and the friendliness that all align with the core values of Dillas. I think that’s what I’m most excited about: the people there that we can serve. That makes the big difference.”
Rather than racing across the country, Dillas intends to grow strategically from the markets where its model has already performed successfully. Tennessee represents exactly that kind of opportunity: geographically logical, culturally aligned and already generating interest in the brand.
“We’re being very strategic about the different population centers that we’re going after to grow the brand,” Gordon said. “With the success that we’ve had with the locations that we do, we think that it is a natural extension to grow it in the Southeast before we take it anywhere else.”
For prospective Tennessee operators, that means the opportunity is not simply to bring another restaurant into the state. Dillas is looking for partners who want to introduce a distinctive concept, build local relationships and become part of the communities they serve.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/dillas-quesadillas.
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