How Did Taco Tuesday Start?

The Origins of taco tuesday

At Benito’s, and plenty of other Mexican restaurants, Tuesdays have come to be known as Taco Tuesday. Although Mexican restaurants typically have tacos available to order, Tuesday is surely the day that brings in all of the taco lovers. Their favorite Mexican style food at a discounted price makes for a perfect meal. Everyone may be familiar with this weekly deal, but how many people know how it came to be? Why was Tuesday chosen out of any other day of the week (besides the two T’s having a nice ring to it)? Let’s see what kind of history this phrase has behind it.

A Trademark Of Taco John’s

Taco Tuesday is a trademark phrase of Taco John’s. Although the phrase is more well known than the restaurant chain, they prefer to be the only ones to use it. Other restaurants harmlessly picked up on the phrase, and it is technically illegal for them to use it (as silly as that may seem). Taco John’s consistently forces other restaurants to stop using the phrase since they have it trademarked. They are being completely serious and don’t see a problem with being so harsh.

Many Origin Theories

This always makes several people angry, claiming there is no real reason to copyright such a simple phrase. And the fact that people claiming to be the owner threaten to take legal action against anyone else using the phrase is even more ridiculous. (Sure, they take tacos seriously, but maybe a bit too seriously?) It may be trademarked by Taco John’s, but it certainly doesn’t originate from them. Trying to track down the origins of Mexican food can lead to a dozen different theories. We can only guess which, if any, are actually true. The phrase that associates a taco discount with Tuesday is no different. Even though Taco John’s trademark claims to be the first to start using the phrase, it had already been around for years as had the weekly taco discount. Taco John’s has given several theories of how tacos started becoming associated with Tuesdays, but they all contradict each other.

Taco Discounts Throughout The Years

There are newspaper clippings advertising tacos for discount prices on Tuesdays. From nineteen thirty three to nineteen sixty eight, various restaurants have offered discounts focused on tacos specifically on Tuesdays. The discounts varied from free tacos to a free item along with the purchase of a taco. The idea of a taco being a cheap price particularly on Tuesdays was a thing before the phrase started being used. And it started out being just an occasional thing that would last for only so long. The first documentation of the phrase being used to advertise a taco discount was in nineteen seventy three. Taco John’s was not`the first to advertise a campaign using this taco phrase; that would be Baker’s Drive-Thru.

Trademark For Tacos

In fact, some are able to see political meaning behind tacos and their discounts which are offered exclusively on Tuesdays. There’s even a Taco Literacy course which teaches students that there is a cultural and political meaning behind tacos if you can believe that. Tacos are Mexican food that have become a part of common American cuisine. Several restaurants tried to claim a trademark to the phrase before Taco John’s. Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar has the trademark for the phrase, and Tortilla Flats claimed to be the legal owner years later. The battle of who legally owns this phrase seems to be among Americans as Mexicans believe tacos are for everyday, not just Tuesday.

Tuesdays Are For Tacos

Taco John’s is certainly not the inventor of this phrase. They were not the first to use this phrase either. There may be no consensus on the actual inventor/owner of this taco phrase. Even history buffs may not even accurately know how the phrase or the Tuesday discount came into existence. Regardless of how this phrase actually came to be, it’s definitely popular among Mexican restaurants. For those who enjoy participating in Tuesdays being devoted to tacos, the invention of this occasion is the last thing that’s important to them. Taco lovers no doubt enjoy this weekly taco discount. If you happen to be craving a taco, come on in to Benito’s. Even if you’re not a fan of tacos, there are several other Mexican dishes that will fill you up. You’ll be able to get a taco, and possibly more, for a price that can’t be beat. At least, you can if it’s Tuesday.