Roll Em Up Taquitos is a California-based taquito chain. Ryan Usrey and his family launched the company in 2019 and quickly found themselves juggling rapid growth and legal trouble.
This explainer focuses on Marin County. Let’s break down the chain’s expansion, the lawsuits in different states, and what folks in places like San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Corte Madera should know—especially since the chain once had big franchise dreams from Santa Rosa to San Mateo.
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Roll Em Up’s California footprint and national expansion
Roll Em Up Taquitos started in Chino and didn’t stay put for long. The brand spread to franchise locations across California and then into Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas.
In Texas, they opened up in Garland in 2022, then tried their luck in Houston’s Heights. Both spots closed within a year. Marin County still hasn’t seen a Roll Em Up, but folks in Bay Area towns like San Anselmo or Novato have kept an eye on the company’s ups and downs, wondering if it might shake up local fast-casual dining.
In 2024, New Mexico franchisees FMP Ventures and Reserve Industries sued Roll Em Up. They said the company broke its contract after they agreed in 2021 to buy Las Vegas franchise rights, then tried to sell those rights back for about $800,000—which, according to them, never showed up.
Roll Em Up and Ryan Usrey fired back with a countersuit. They accused the New Mexico group of breaching the agreement, running stores poorly, and even allowing drug use and sales on-site.
By 2025, five California franchisees joined a separate lawsuit. They accused the company of deceptive practices and even called it a “Ponzi scheme.”
Legal challenges across states
The legal mess has only grown more tangled. In California, plaintiffs say Roll Em Up misled them about how much money they could make. The New Mexico claims focus more on money disputes and bad store management.
California franchisees also allege that the company supplied frozen taquitos to stores, even though they were told everything was made fresh daily. Some say taquitos were made in private homes, not proper kitchens. That’s a big red flag for most people.
Plaintiffs claim these issues led to underperforming stores and plenty of closures in California. Several locations just couldn’t make a profit, plain and simple.
Roll Em Up and Usrey haven’t been very responsive in court. Their attorneys left the New Mexico case, and in California, plaintiffs say they’ve had a hard time tracking Usrey down to serve him papers.
If neither side shows up or responds, default judgments could happen. That leaves franchise owners and would-be investors in limbo, not knowing what’s next. Still, the original Roll Em Up locations in Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga, and Lebec are hanging on and serving taquitos.
- Key allegations from plaintiffs include deceptive revenue promises and mismanagement at multiple stores.
- Frozen taquitos allegedly sold as if they were made fresh.
- Some corporate stores reportedly used taquitos prepared at private homes, skipping standard kitchen checks.
- Plenty of reports about store closures and ongoing worries about profits for several California franchises.
What this means for Marin County communities and diners
If you’re a Marin diner in San Rafael, Sausalito, or Tiburon, and you spot Roll Em Up popping up at a mall or a regional event, these lawsuits might make you pause. It’s a reminder to do a little homework before investing in or supporting fast-casual brands, especially ones that seem to expand overnight.
Local business owners in Corte Madera and Larkspur keep an eye on national chains. They have to consider franchise risks, supply-chain transparency, and whether companies actually follow the rules before they jump in with a new concept.
The whole situation is a bit of a warning for would-be investors in the Bay Area. From Novato down to San Anselmo, it’s clear that taking a brand from ambitious plans to a steady, well-run business isn’t exactly a straight line.
In each Marin town, people see that a company’s friendly face can hide some pretty tangled legal or financial stuff. The Roll Em Up saga—stretching from New Mexico to California and Texas—really brings up questions about franchise disclosures and product quality.
Oversight matters, especially when a brand spreads across several states. Marin has a reputation for food entrepreneurship, whether you’re at a Fairfax farmers market or a Mill Valley bistro.
Honestly, transparency and accountability matter just as much as making a killer taquito. That’s how a brand earns trust in Marin County.
Here is the source article for this story: ‘Ponzi scheme’ allegations hit California restaurant chain
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