Turner was an officer in the United States Air Force who served during the Korean War and an aspiring entrepreneur; he was stationed at FE Warren AFB, where he began digging into his entrepreneurial spirit.

[8] They also launched Woodson-Holmes Enterprises, which gave Woodson the restaurant franchise rights, and the company name became Taco John's International, Inc.

The new franchise location featured Taco John's original mascot, a devil, and displayed the tagline "the hottest spot in town".

[11] In 1973, the first physical brick-and-mortar, in-the-ground Taco John's was built at Carey Ave and W 23rd St in Cheyenne, Wyoming, including a drive-thru.

[11] By 2004, Taco John's began a new form of expansion normally seen in larger brands, involving partnerships with other restaurants, including local brands like Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard and Steak Escape in 2004[12][13] and an Arby's in Lindenhurst, New York, that opened in 2015.

Taco John's has adopted and trademarked the term "West-Mex" to describe their food and service attitude.

[32] The company defines "West-Mex" food as having fresh, bold flavors, including their signature "Potato Olés", sauces, spices, and salsas.

[34] Taco John's early mascot, depicted on their street signage above the words "The Hottest Spot In Town," was a devil character.

[36] Punk band In Defence performed their song "Call More Dudes" in a Taco John's as part of a tribute to the franchise.

[39] On December 14, Black Hawk County, Iowa health officials stated that lettuce tainted with E. coli had been discovered in the supply chain.

That same day, a Cedar Falls couple filed a lawsuit against Taco John's after their 9-year-old daughter was hospitalized for symptoms of E.

This incident came about at the same time as an unrelated E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell restaurants in the midwestern United States.

Creel said, "[P]aying millions of dollars to lawyers to defend our mark just doesn't feel like the right thing to do.