Getahn Ward

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Taco John's is one of two restaurants on the drawing board for the 2.47-acre Antioch site.

Spring Hill-based American Development Partners is behind the project planned for Hamilton Church Road and Murfreesboro Pike.

A Taco John's executive sees room in Nashville, which he said is served by only Taco Bell in Mexican fast food category.

Franchisees Richard Reeves and Lawrence Lavigne have an agreement to open 20 Taco John's in Nashville and Chattanooga.

Plans are in the works for two restaurants at a 2.47-acre site in Antioch and one could be Nashville's first location of the Mexican concept chain Taco John's.

Spring Hill-based developer American Development Partners will go before the Metro Planning Commission on April 24 seeking a modification to Urban Design Overlay District standards on the commercially zoned property located at the corner of Hamilton Church Road and Murfreesboro Pike. Approval would allow for a shorter length of the facade than is required along Mufreesboro Pike.

Bill Forte, project manager with civil engineering firm 4Site Inc., said moving forward with the pair of buildings as designed is contingent on the planning commission's approval. The related application with Metro planners mentioned Taco John's, but didn't identify the other planned restaurant.

Van Ingram, vice president of franchise development with Wyoming-based Taco John's International Inc., said the nearly 50-year-old chain with 391 restaurants mostly across the Midwest considers Nashville an ideal market.

"If you look at it, there's really one national competitor in that category," Ingram said, referring to quick-service Mexican fast food. "Really, you have only Taco Bell and no one else. Nashville, Knoxville, Lexington — those areas all make sense for us."

An American Development Partners affiliate has a contract to buy the 2.47 acres at 2827 Murfreesboro Pike from the Bank of Camden.

"The operations team that we're working with has extensive experience and we're really excited about bringing these brands to this area," said Caleb McMillen, ADP's chief operating officer.

Locally, Excellent Tacos LLC has a franchise agreement to open 20 Taco John's locations in Nashville and Chattanooga over the next four years with an option for 32 more locations.

Earlier this year, that entity gained approval from the La Vergne Board of Aldermen for a Taco John's location in that Rutherford County community. Its principals are Richard Reeves, of Florida, and Lawrence Lavigne, who is from the Nashville area.

Reeves' and Lavigne's backgrounds include owning Jet’s Pizza and World of Beer franchises. Locally, they're also behind bringing Checkers Drive-Thru to Smyrna

Reach Getahn Ward at gward@tennessean.com or 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.