 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(July 2022) |
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| Company type | Fast food restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Raul Martínez |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles |
King Taco is a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, which offers a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes. The chain was founded in 1974 by Raul Martinez, and since then, it has expanded to over 20 locations throughout Southern California.
King Taco was founded in 1974 by Raul Martínez, Sr., who operated a mobile lunch wagon out of a converted ice cream truck. [1] Within six months, he opened the first of the chain's restaurants in Cypress Park. [2] He opened the second King Taco somewhere in East Los Angeles, which at 4,000 square feet (370 m2) is the flagship restaurant. Other locations soon followed, opening every other year in Commerce, Baldwin Park, El Monte and other East Los Angeles sites. [3] By 1995, Martinez had established fourteen restaurants grossing over $21 million. [4]
As of August 6, 2015, a grand opening was held at the new location in the heart of the city of Glendale, California, bringing the total to 23 restaurants that are now located throughout Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County. New restaurants have recently opened in Old Town Pasadena and Long Beach, which are among the few King Taco restaurants not located in a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood. The company has contributed to urban revitalization through the retrofitting of vacant commercial buildings for its restaurants. Additionally, King Taco has expanded into the Inland Empire, with restaurants in Ontario, California, and Fontana, California.
Company founder Raul Martinez Sr. died on December 3, 2013, at the age of 71 while visiting family in Mexico City. [5] [6]
In 2003, King Taco was the sponsor of the Champ Car season finale at the California Speedway. Called the King Taco 500, the race was eventually canceled as a result of the forest fires that devastated the Southern California area at the time. [7]
For the 2019 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, King Taco was the primary sponsor on the Harding Steinbrenner #88 Honda/Dallara IR-18 IndyCar driven by rookie Colton Herta. [8]
King Taco Restaurant, Inc. filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against King Taco Express, Inc., Emmanuel Luna, and Sol Celene Rojas in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada in March 2008. King Taco Restaurant, Inc. won the lawsuit. [9]
Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty, and speciality items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2023, Taco Bell serves over two billion customers each year, at 8,212 restaurants, more than 94 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.
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Wienerschnitzel is an American fast food chain that specializes in hot dogs and other food products. The brand was founded in 1961 by former Taco Bell employee John Galardi and originally named Der Wienerschnitzel. Despite the name, the company does not ordinarily sell Wiener schnitzel, doing so once as a promotion. Wienerschnitzel locations are found predominantly in California and Texas; others are found in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Washington, as well as the US territory of Guam. Outside the United States of America, there are stores located in Ecuador.
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. is an American fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine, as well as American foods such as burgers, fries and shakes. Del Taco is led by Brand President Tom Rose, and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California. On December 6, 2021, Jack in the Box announced it was acquiring Del Taco for $12.51 per share. The acquisition was finalized in March 2022. Del Taco has approximately 600 locations in 16 US states.
Victoria Station was a chain of railroad-themed steakhouse restaurants. At the peak of its popularity in the 1970s, the chain had 100 locations in the United States. The firm filed for bankruptcy in 1986. The last remaining restaurant in the former chain was located in Salem, Massachusetts until it abruptly closed in December 2017.
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Rubio's Coastal Grill, formerly known as Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill and Rubio's Baja Grill, is an American fast casual "Fresh Mex" or "New Mex" restaurant chain specializing in Mexican food, with an emphasis on fish tacos. As of 2024, Rubio's operates, licenses, or franchises 86 restaurants in Arizona, California and Nevada. It previously had locations in Colorado, Florida and Utah. The chain announced store closings and a bankruptcy filing the same year with plans to sell itself to lenders. It is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
Pup 'N' Taco was a privately owned chain of fast-food restaurants in Southern California; the chain's headquarters were located in Long Beach, California. The business was begun by Russell Wendell in 1956 as a drive-in restaurant that served tacos, hot dogs, and pastrami sandwiches. Russell already owned Big DoNut, a chain of successful doughnut stores in Los Angeles that featured gigantic doughnuts atop a drive-in bakery. The first officially branded Pup 'N' Taco was opened in Pasadena, California in 1965.
A taquito, taco dorado, rolled taco, or flauta is a Mexican dish that typically consists of a small rolled-up tortilla that contains filling, including beef, cheese or chicken. The filled tortilla is then shallow-fried or deep-fried. The dish is often topped with condiments such as sour cream and guacamole. Corn tortillas are generally used to make taquitos. The dish is more commonly known as flautas when they are larger than their taquito counterparts, and can be made with either flour or corn tortillas.
Wahoo's Fish Taco is a U.S.-based restaurant chain that offers Mexican food mixed with Brazilian and Asian flavors. Categorized as a "fast casual restaurant", the quality and preparation time of its food is between that of a fast-food restaurant and a more formal restaurant. Wahoo's provides many vegetarian and some vegan options, such as tofu, banzai veggies and brown rice, and also provides a kids' meal menu. They serve wahoo fish in their tacos, as well as Mahi-mahi.
Juan Pollo is a Mexican-style rotisserie chicken restaurant chain headquartered in San Bernardino, California founded in 1984 by Albert Okura. Its restaurants are located mostly in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, with other locations in Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties.
US RaceTronics (USRT) is an auto racing team based in Buttonwillow, California, that competes in the Atlantic Championship. It was founded by former Dorricott Racing Team Manager Shane Seneviratne. Seneviratne and the Dorricott Racing organization dominated both the Toyota Atlantic and Indy Lights open wheel series. The team won numerous awards and race wins, including series championships in 1999, 2001, and 2002. Dorricott Racing founder Bob Dorricott died of cancer in 2002 and Seneviratne assisted in the liquidation of the team’s assets after the 2003 season.
Albert Okura was an American businessman who was the founder and CEO of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain in Southern California. He was also a philanthropist and was active in the revitalization of Historic Route 66. In 2005, Okura purchased the town of Amboy, California, which is located along Route 66. The corporate headquarters for the Juan Pollo chain now sits on the original location of the first McDonald's restaurant where Okura created and hosted a museum, preserving artifacts and memorabilia about the landmark.
A taco stand or taquería is a food stall, food cart or restaurant that specializes in tacos and other Mexican dishes. The food is typically prepared quickly and tends to be inexpensive. Many various ingredients may be used, and various taco styles may be served. Taco stands are an integral part of Mexican street food. Tacos became a part of traditional Mexican cuisine in the early 20th century, beginning in Mexico City, as what had been a miner's snack began to be sold on street corners in the city. Shops selling tacos have since proliferated throughout Mexico and other areas with a heavy Mexican culinary and cultural influence, including much of the Western United States and most other larger American cities. More typical taquerías specialize in tacos, as expected, but in some localities it can be used to refer to restaurants specializing in burritos, where tacos themselves are less of a point of emphasis.
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Roberto's Taco Shop is a chain of Mexican restaurants in California and Nevada, with locations primarily in San Diego and the Las Vegas Valley. It is based in Las Vegas, and it had 77 locations as of 2020. The company originated with a tortilleria that was founded in San Ysidro, San Diego in 1964, by Roberto Robledo and his wife Dolores. They subsequently purchased several restaurants, before renaming them Roberto's Taco Shop around 1970. The chain expanded to the Las Vegas Valley in 1990, and was also operating in Miami by the end of the decade.
Tacos El Gavilan, Inc, also known as Tacos Gavilan or formerly Tacos El Gavilan, is a Mexican fast food restaurant chain founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Its headquarters are in Vernon, California. As of 2021, Tacos Gavilan has 14 restaurants located in California, all of which are family-owned.
Colloquially referred to as Loncheras, Taco trucks have become an iconic symbol of Mexican culture in the United States. Popularized in Los Angeles, Loncheras are often characterized by rough exteriors, bright colors, and bold murals. Operators have been able to build loyal clientele using familiar parking spots, social media, and after-dark hours. Though taco trucks are a staple food for Angelenos of every race, Loncheras in Los Angeles are chiefly owned and operated by Hispanic and Latino families in low to moderate-income areas. Since Raul Martinez's first mobile truck success, taco trucks have continued to serve as windows of opportunity for migrant families and prospective chefs to earn a living. Taco trucks, like all Mexican street food, have allowed Mexican Americans to stay connected to their heritage while adjusting to a new country, community, and way of life. Success among authentic Mexican taco trucks later inspired "fusion taco trucks". Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ food truck, a Korean-Mexican short rib taco truck, is considered to be the first "fusion" taco truck in Los Angeles. The opening of Choi's truck marked a gastronomic explosion on the Los Angeles taco truck horizon. Both regular and fusion taco trucks help meet the high demand for fast, affordable, and convenient street food in the Golden city.
