Taco Tuesday
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Short description|United States food custom}}
File:Taco Tuesday (48351551691).jpg
Taco Tuesday is a custom in the United States of eating tacos or in some cases select Tex-Mex dishes, typically served in a tortilla, on Tuesday nights. Restaurants will often offer special prices, for example, "$2 fish tacos every Tuesday night".{{cite web |title=The Strange History Of Taco Tuesday |url=http://2.ourtiempo.com/the-strange-history-of-taco-tuesday |website=Our Tiempo |last=Davy O. |first=Rourke |date=August 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006050439/http://2.ourtiempo.com/the-strange-history-of-taco-tuesday |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |url-status=dead}}
It is popular in many big cities across the nation, and especially popular in the beach cities of Southern California.{{cite web |url=http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/10-places-in-la-to-eat-1-tacos-5291898 |title=10 Places in L.A. to Eat $1 Tacos – Los Angeles {{!}} Los Angeles News and Events {{!}} LA Weekly |website=www.laweekly.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122050022/http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/10-places-in-la-to-eat-1-tacos-5291898 |archive-date=2015-01-22}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/the-scene/food-drink/T-is-for-Taco-Tuesday-59344962.html|title = T is for Taco Tuesday| date=15 September 2009 }} Taco Tuesday is similar to happy hour in that restaurants vary in their participation, hours, and specials offered.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
Taco Tuesday is celebrated in other countries in the English-speaking world, such as in Canada and Australia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/history-of-taco-tuesday-when-did-it-start |title=The Crazy Contentious History of Taco Tuesday |last=Arellano |first=Gustavo |date=2018-09-03 |website=Thrillist |access-date=2025-03-05}} Similar customs are observed outside of the US. In Norway, the terms Fredagstaco and Tacofredag are used to refer to eating tacos on Friday night.[https://thenorwayguide.com/taco-friday/ Norwegian Taco Friday Explained (Why Norwegians Love Taco!)] The Norway Guide[https://www.norwegianamerican.com/friday-night-is-taco-night-in-norway/ Friday night is taco night in Norway] The Norwegian American In Sweden, serving tacos on Fridays is common for Fredagsmys.[https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210521-fredagsmys-the-unlikely-symbol-of-swedens-cosy-friday Fredagsmys: The unlikely symbol of Sweden’s 'cosy Friday'] BBC
Origin
Businesses have advertised tacos on Tuesdays since at least 1933.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/style/lebron-james-taco-tuesday-trademark.html |title=LeBron James, a Fan of Tacos, Seeks to Trademark 'Taco Tuesday' |first=Daniel |last=Hernandez |date=2019-09-04 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2025-03-05}}{{Cite news |last=Arellano |first=Gustavo |date=2019-09-03 |title=Why LeBron James should free 'Taco Tuesday' from its trademark shackles |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-09-03/lebron-james-taco-tuesday-trademark-taco-johns |access-date=2025-03-05}} The first known use of the phrase "Taco Tuesday" was in a 1968 Victoria Advocate advertisement for a local business.{{Cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D1JQAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA6 |title=Taco Tuesday |date=1968-08-23 |work=The Victoria Advocate |location=Victoria, Texas |page=11A |access-date=2025-03-12}}
Trademarks
= United States =
Gregory's Restaurant & Bar of Somers Point began a Taco Tuesday promotion on February 6, 1979. In 1982, Gregory's registered the term as a trademark with the state of New Jersey.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/08/21/taco-tuesday-trademark-gregorys-taco-bell/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=At a Jersey Shore bar, Taco Tuesday's soul lives on in a trademark |first=Timothy |last=Bella |date=August 21, 2023 }} Individual franchises of Wyoming-based fast food restaurant Taco John's first started using the term in late 1979 and the early 1980s, with an Indiana franchise being the first. Taco John's was granted a federal trademark registration for "Taco Tuesday" in 1989, and defended against other restaurants using that phrase. Taco John's federal trademark rights extended throughout the United States, with the exception of New Jersey, where Gregory's retained their state trademark rights.{{cite news|last1=Mayyasi|first1=Alex|title=The Trademarking of "Taco Tuesday"|url=https://priceonomics.com/the-trademarking-of-taco-tuesday/|accessdate=26 September 2016|work=Priceconomics}} Tortilla Flats owned a trademark for "Taco Tuesday" in California in 1984 and used it in a lawsuit in 1997.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-23-fi-15401-story.html 'Taco Tuesday' Trademark Tussle] Los Angeles Times[https://qz.com/taco-tuesday-trademark-taco-bell-campaign-1850444315 Taco Bell is suddenly hungry to fight the "Taco Tuesday" trademarks] Quartz
In 2019, Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James began sharing social media posts on Instagram about his family's weekly taco dinners dubbed "Taco Tuesdays". Through shell company LBJ Trademarks LLC, he filed a trademark on the term "Taco Tuesday" for use in downloadable audio/visual works, podcasts, social media, online marketing, and entertainment services. The request was denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), stating that Taco Tuesday was "a commonplace term, message or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment".{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/style/lebron-taco-tuesday-trademark.html |title=LeBron James Tried to Trademark 'Taco Tuesday,' but Got Swatted Away |last=Zaveri |first=Mihir |date=2019-09-11 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US |access-date=2019-09-13}}
In practice, Taco John's was unable to stop widespread use of the term regardless. Many taco fans disagree with the idea that any one entity can "own" the term "Taco Tuesdays".
In May 2023, Taco Bell petitioned the USPTO, asking that the trademark be cancelled and arguing that the phrase "should be freely available to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos". The chain also said that "nobody should have exclusive rights in a common phrase".{{cite news | last =Valinsky | first = Jordan| title = Taco Bell is fighting to cancel the 'Taco Tuesday' trademark | newspaper =CNN | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = May 16, 2023 | url =https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/business/taco-tuesday-trademark-taco-bell/index.html| accessdate =May 16, 2023 }} On July 18, 2023, Taco John's CEO, Jim Creel, announced that they would abandon the "Taco Tuesday" trademark,{{Cite web |author=Jordan Valinsky |date=2023-07-18 |title=The battle for the 'Taco Tuesday' trademark is over |url=https://www.wishtv.com/news/national/the-battle-for-the-taco-tuesday-trademark-is-over/ |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=WISH-TV {{!}} Indianapolis News {{!}} Indiana Weather {{!}} Indiana Traffic |language=en-US}} leaving New Jersey as the last state where the phrase remained trademarked.[https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/gregory-gregory-and-the-fight-for-taco-tuesday/article_60465672-2b07-11ee-b9e8-d766b0abdd4d.html Gregory Gregory and the fight for Taco Tuesday] Press of Atlantic City[https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nj-bar-owner-continues-legal-beef-with-taco-bell-over-taco-tuesday/3608794/ NJ bar owner continues legal beef with Taco Bell over ‘Taco Tuesday'] NBC-10 (WCAU) - (Associated Press)
On October 24, 2023, it was announced that Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, owner of the trademark in New Jersey, also relinquished the trademark, ending the term's trademarked status for the entire United States.{{cite web | last=Valinsky | first=Jordan | title=Taco Bell's battle to free the 'Taco Tuesday' trademark is officially over | website=CNN | date=2023-10-24 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/24/business/taco-tuesday-taco-bell-settlement/index.html | access-date=2023-10-24}}
= Outside the US =
In Australia, Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill has owned the trademark to the term since 2011.[https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/salsas-fires-salvo-in-taco-tuesday-stand-off-20180613-p4zl9z.html Salsas fires salvo in 'Taco Tuesday' stand-off] The Age[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-18/taco-tuesday-war-starts-debate-over-trademark-rules/9879914 'Taco Tuesday' trademark war sparks debate over words and phrases we can lay claim to] Australian Broadcasting Corporation In Canada, MTY Food Group's TacoTime has owned the trademark for the term since 1997.[https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/calgary-eatery-s-taco-tuesday-draws-legal-threat-from-restaurant-industry-giant-1.3803461 Calgary eatery's 'Taco Tuesday' draws legal threat from restaurant industry giant] CTV News[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/taco-tuesdays-trademark-taco-time-blanco-calgary-1.4532989 Taco Tuesday trademark tussle hits Calgary cantina] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation