“Taco Tuesday” Trademark Claim Abandoned

Clip art illustrating the basic contents of an American-style taco: protein, lettuce, tomato, and cheese wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla.

Taco clip art (Photo: public domain)

Though the battle with Taco Johns may be over, the war for the “Taco Tuesday” continues on in New Jersey. According to an Associated Press piece, Taco Johns has abandoned its claim to the “Taco Tuesday” trademark as rival Taco Bell challenges the smaller chain. Mead Gruver writes, “In a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Cheyenne-based Taco John’s gave up any further claim to “Taco Tuesday” in 49 states, ending a high-profile spat with Taco Bell. But the dispute looks to keep simmering on the Jersey Shore, where Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar in Somers Point promised to keep fighting Taco Bell over the exclusive right to hold “Taco Tuesday” promotions in New Jersey. “We’re hanging in there. We’re sticking by our guns,” Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar attorney Stephen Altamuro said.”

Read more over at apnews.com. 

Who owns “Taco Tuesday”?

Clip art illustrating the basic contents of an American-style taco: protein, lettuce, tomato, and cheese wrapped in a crispy corn tortilla.
Taco clip art (Photo: public domain)

The answer to this question—”Who owns the ‘Taco Tuesday’ trademark?”—is actually quite straightforward: it’s American fast food chain Taco John’s. According to an article in The Guardian, the fast food chain Taco Bell is currently battling “to liberate [the] trademarked phrase”.

Taco John’s Chief Marketing Officer Barry Westrum is quoted by the Guardian saying, “It’s been ours for 34 years, and we’re very proud of that… To this day, Tuesdays are our bestselling days of the week. While Taco Tuesdays may have become part of the American lexicon, that doesn’t give our competition the right to take it from us.”

This timeline is contested, however, as evidence of businesses using the term back in the 1930’s was raised by author of Taco USA Gustavo Arellano. Read more about the Taco Tuesday trademark over at the Guardian.