Pink Taco
Encyclopedia
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It calls itself a chain, but currently only has one location open after previously having had several locations. It serves Mexican food
Mexican cuisine
Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originates in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The cuisine of Mexico has evolved through thousands of years of blending indigenous cultures, with later...
. The chain has earned notoriety due to its name, which is a slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term for the human vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
. According to the restaurant, the name comes from a dish it serves.
Locations
The first Pink Taco restaurant was opened in 1999 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada. A second location in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
met with controversy and remained open for less than three years, between 2006 and 2009. A third location opened on June 28, 2007 in Century City, Los Angeles, California
Century City, Los Angeles, California
Century City is a 176-acre commercial and residential district on the Westside of the city of Los Angeles. It is bounded by Westwood on the west, Rancho Park on the southwest, Cheviot Hills and Beverlywood on the southeast, and the city of Beverly Hills on the northeast...
. According to the restaurant's website, planned future locations include Hollywood, California, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. As of September 2010, only a single Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, location, at Westfield Century City
Westfield Century City
Westfield Century City, formerly Century City Shopping Center & Marketplace, is a shopping mall in the Century City area of Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Westfield Group. Its anchor stores are Bloomingdale's and Macy's...
mall, was listed on that website.
Name controversy
The name has caused controversy in Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, where the restaurant attempted to open a second location. In response, the city government received four emails complaining about the name. This generated a complaint from Mayor Mary Manross
Mary Manross
Mary Manross is the former Democratic mayor of Scottsdale, Arizona. First elected in June 2000, she served two terms and lost her candidacy for her third term as mayor in the November 2008 runoff mayoral election to her opponent, former Certified Public Accountant and businessman and former city...
who said she was offended, although she did not see the name in a sexual way until the complaints were raised. She asked the owner to change the name, but he refused.
On May 15, 2006, the Scottsdale City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, by a unanimous vote, recommended the restaurant for a liquor license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. One resident raised an objection at the meeting, saying the name "demeans and degrades women." The state agency said it had not received any complaints. The Scottsdale location closed its doors on April 1, 2009.
The restaurant quickly gained the attention of the media, and was soon contacted by representatives from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Mind of Mencia
Mind of Mencia
Mind of Mencia is an American television comedy series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by Carlos Mencia, it aired from 2005 to 2008.- History :...
with requests for interviews, which were initially turned down. President and CEO Harry Morton appeared on the June 27, 2006 episode of The Daily Show, which also featured a story on the controversy by reporter Ed Helms. During his interview, Morton explained that the name comes from a menu item, and that if the restaurant were truly "vagina-themed", there would be "vaginas all over the walls". Pink Taco was also mentioned during the May 20, 2006 showing of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
as part of its "Weekend Update
Weekend Update
Weekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...
" skit.
In August 2006, Morton announced a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
30 million bid for the naming rights to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' new stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
. The offer was rejected by the Cardinals, who dismissed the announcement as a joke and a publicity stunt. On September 28, 2006, Pink Taco launched a similar bid to rename the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in New Orleans to the "Pink Taco Dome". As the State of Louisiana owns the Superdome, any name change must be approved by the Louisiana State Legislature
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
.
Live animal controversy
On May 5, 2011 in honor of Cinco de Mayo the Pink Taco in Century City, CA painted a donkey pink and wrote "Pink Taco" on both its sides. Critics claimed the donkey was shaved, painted pink and left outside in 90 °FFahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
heat. Spokesman for the animal rental company said the animal was treated fairly and two trainers were on site to care for it. The restaurant manager refused to comment.