King Taco
TypeFast food restaurant
Founded1974
FounderRaul Martínez
HeadquartersLos Angeles
King Taco restaurant on 3rd Street in East Los Angeles

King Taco is a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, which offers a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes, including soft tacos, burritos, sopes, tamales, nachos, and rotisserie chicken.[1] Additionally, they serve traditional Mexican drinks such as horchata and jamaica. The chain was founded in 1974 by Raul Martinez, and since then, it has expanded to over 20 locations throughout Southern California.

History

Carne asada tacos and horchata at King Taco.

King Taco was founded in 1974 by Raul Martínez, Sr., who operated a mobile lunch wagon out of a converted ice cream truck.[2] Within six months, he opened the first of the chain's restaurants in Cypress Park.[3] 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.[4] By 1995, Martinez had established fourteen restaurants grossing over $21 million.[5]

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.[6][7]

Sponsorships

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.[8]

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.[9]

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.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "7 Fast Food Restaurants We Wish Would Come To North Carolina". K 104.7. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  2. ↑ Jesus Sanchez, "King Taco Got Start in Old Ice Cream Van", Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1987.
  3. ↑ name, Your. "Restaurant Locations - King Taco". www.kingtaco.com.
  4. ↑ "Authentic Latin eats: King Taco Restaurants Inc". Los Angeles Business Journal. 1999-09-06.
  5. ↑ Díaz, David R. (2005). Chicanos, Planning, and American Cities. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-94541-7.
  6. ↑ Jenn Harris, "Raul Martinez Sr., founder of King Taco, dies at 71", Los Angeles Times, December 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Founder Of King Taco Dies At 71", KCBS-TV, December 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ "CHAMPCAR/CART: Champ Car season ends early due to California fires | …". old.motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "King Taco to Serve as Primary Sponsor for Harding Steinbrenner Racing at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach - Including Special Offer". Harding Steinbrenner Racing. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  10. ↑ "King Taco Restaurant, Inc. v. King Taco Express, Inc. et al. Federal Court Docket". 2009-02-26.
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