Taco John's
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Taco John's | |
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Industry | Food |
| Slogan | The Fresh Taste of West-Mex(r) |
| Website | www.tacojohns.com |
Taco John's is a Cheyenne, Wyoming based fast-food restaurant featuring Mexican fast-food (which the chain calls 'West-Mex'). The chain was founded in 1969 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and currently has more than 400 Taco John’s restaurants in 24 states.
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[edit] History
John Turner started the Taco House restaurant in 1968 after being stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne and serving in the United States Army Air Corps during the Korean War. He sold the franchise rights to Taco House to Jim Woodsen and Harold Holmes, who changed the brand to Taco John's.
While Taco John's targeted smaller Midwestern and Western communities in its early years, the chain has recently begun to open locations in larger metropolitan areas like Denver and Kansas City.[1] Taco John's also operates several outlets serving the U.S. Armed Forces through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), taking advantage of an opportunity offered the company after the market leader, Taco Bell, declined to participate.
[edit] 2006 E. coli outbreak
In December 2006, a reported 50 people became sick and 18 people were hospitalized after eating at a Taco John's restaurant in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Shortly after that, Minnesota health officials reported that an additional 27 people became ill after eating at Taco John's restaurants in Albert Lea and Austin.[2] On December 14, Black Hawk County (Iowa) health officials stated that lettuce tainted with E. coli bacteria caused the rash of illnesses.[3] That same day, a Cedar Falls couple filed a lawsuit against Taco John's after their nine-year-old daughter was hospitalized for symptoms of E. coli.[4] Taco John's dropped its produce supplier, Bix Produce of St. Paul, Minnesota, as a result of the outbreaks. This incident comes at the same time as an E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeastern United States.
[edit] Menu items
[edit] Lunch/Dinner Foods
Taco John's has adopted "West-Mex" as a definition of their food and service attitude, and now holds a trademark on the term. "West-Mex" food is defined by the company as being about fresh, bold flavors due to the inclusion of their crisp potato nuggets branded as "Potato Olés" (see below), sauces, spices and salsas.
[edit] Breakfast Menu
Some franchises offer a breakfast menu. Many of the items on the menu utilize a combination of Potato Oles, eggs, breakfast meat and a flour tortillia. Selections include breakfast versions of tacos and burritos.
[edit] Desserts
Taco Johns offers three different desserts:
- Apple Grande--Deep fried tortillia covered with apples, cinnamon candies, and cheese
- Choco Taco--Prepackaged frozen ice cream treat
- Churro--Common Mexican dessert item found in many other places, including street vendors and other Mexican restaurants.
[edit] Potato Olés
This item is perhaps that for which Taco John's is best known, and one of its more closely-held trademarked items. Potato Olés are round, bite-sized potato nuggets (much like tater tots) that are deep fried, and then coated with a special blend of spices and seasonings unique to the company.
Potato Olés are also included as a filling in several different burritos(beef, chicken, steak and Crunchy Chicken versions of its Meat and Potato Burrito), and many of the breakfast items.
In the early/mid 1980s, Potato Olés went through a metamorphosis. Before they were seasoned crispy crowns, they were a football-shaped treat with center fillings of refried beans, cheese or meat.
[edit] Seasonal Items
During the Christmas holiday season, Taco John's offers Nachos Navidad, a nacho platter with red and green colored tortilla chips. Jose Feliciano's song "Feliz Navidad" is used in the commercials, and Feliciano speaks of celebrating the holiday "the Mexican way" with Nachos Navidad. A portion of sales from this item is donated to charity.
[edit] Advertising
Taco John's early mascot, depicted on their street signage above the words "The Hottest Spot In Town," was a devil character. Later mascots were versions of a cartoonish, perhaps stereotypical, Mexican character named Juan with a giant sombrero and a donkey named Pépé.[1] However, the figure was replaced in the mid-90's by a more modern, artistic image.
Currently, Taco John's advertising icon is Whiplash The Cowboy Monkey, a popular rodeo attraction and PRCA Entertainer of the Year, who rides on his dog Ben to the rescue of hungry taco lovers. For the Nachos Navidad spots, Whiplash and Ben are seen stringing lights on a tree. Due to their short stature, however, only the bottom half of the tree is lit.
[edit] References
- ^ FundingUniverse.com. Taco John's International, Inc., Company History. Retrieved on December 14, 2006.
- ^ Leys, Tony. "Bad Lettuce Suspected in E. Coli Outbreak", Des Moines Register, 2006-12-14.
- ^ Krogstad, Jens Manuel. "E. Coli Outbreak Caused By Lettuce", The Courier (Iowa), 2006-12-14.
- ^ "Cedar Falls Couple Files Lawsuit Against Taco John's", KCCI.com, 2006-12-14.
