Taco John's
Encyclopedia
Taco John's is a Cheyenne, Wyoming
-based fast-food restaurant featuring Mexican-inspired 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.
John Turner started the Taco House restaurant in 1968 after being stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming and serving in the United States Army Air Corps
during the Korean War
. He sold the franchise rights to James Woodson and Harold Holmes, who changed the brand name to Taco John's in 1969.
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
. Taco John's also operates several outlets serving the U.S. Armed Forces through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service
(AAFES). Taco Bell
declined to participate.
In 2004, Taco John's began to partner with Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
and Steak Escape
to open co-branded restaurants.
health officials reported that an additional 27 people became ill after eating at Taco John's restaurants in Rio Grande City
, Texas
and Grand Forks, North Dakota
. On December 14, Black Hawk County
, Iowa
health officials stated that lettuce
tainted with E. coli
had been discovered within the supply chain. 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. Taco John's dropped its produce supplier, Bix Produce of Grand Forks, North Dakota
, as a result of the outbreaks. After a thorough investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health and the FDA, Bix Produce was cleared of any wrong doing in the matter. The source of the outbreak was traced back to the growing fields in California. This incident came about at the same time as an unrelated E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell
restaurants in the midwest of the United States
.
Potatoes Olé are Taco John's signature item and one of their most closely held trademarked items. Potatoes Olé are round, bite-sized potato nuggets, or crowns (which are similar to tater tots
, but slightly smaller), that are deep fried and then coated with a proprietary blend of approximately 167 spices and seasonings. They are available for purchase by the bucket.
Potatoes Olé are also included as a filling in several different burritos (beef, chicken, steak, and Crunchy Chicken versions of its Meat and Potato Burrito, as well as their Grilled Burrito with the same protein options) (much like Taco Bell
's 1/2 lb. burrito
), and many of the breakfast items.
Olés are also featured in their Super Potatoes Olé platters, which come in small and regular sizes and are mostly made of Olés covered in nacho cheese, beef, beans, and other Mexican ingredients.
Before at least 1979, Potatoes Olé had been a cylindrical product with center fillings of refried beans
, cheese, or meat.
Four items are normally on the dessert menu. These include churros, a star-shaped, long pastry coated with cinnamon sugar
and Choco-Taco, a frozen waffle
cone made in the shape of a taco
shell that has chocolate
and vanilla
ice cream
in it with almond bits and Cini-Sopapilla Bites, also dusted with cinnamon sugar
. The last one is the Apple Grande, a cinnamon puff pastry with apple
filling and shredded cheese and red cinnamon sugar on top.
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
.
, 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. However, the figure was replaced in the mid-1990s by a more modern, artistic image.
Taco John's recent advertising icons have included 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.
Punk band In Defence performed their song "Call More Dudes" in a Taco John's as part of a tribute to the franchise.
Wesley Willis
advertised Taco John's in at least one of his songs.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
-based fast-food restaurant featuring Mexican-inspired fast-food (which the chain calls "West-Mex"). The chain was founded in 1969 in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, and currently has more than 400 Taco John’s restaurants in 24 states.
History
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He sold the franchise rights to James Woodson and Harold Holmes, who changed the brand name to Taco John's in 1969.
While Taco John's targeted smaller Midwestern
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and Western
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
communities in its early years, the chain has recently begun to open locations in larger metropolitan areas like Denver
Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area
The Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in the State of Colorado that includes the City and County of Denver and nine suburban counties. The Census Bureau estimates that the population was 2,357,404 on...
and Kansas City
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
. Taco John's also operates several outlets serving the U.S. Armed Forces through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Army and Air Force Exchange Service
The Exchange is an agency of the United States Department of Defense. Its dual missions are to provide quality merchandise and services of necessity and convenience to authorized customers at uniform low prices, and to generate reasonable earnings to supplement appropriated funds for the support...
(AAFES). Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
declined to participate.
In 2004, Taco John's began to partner with Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard
Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard is a Golden, Colorado-based fast-food restaurant specializing in premium burgers and fresh frozen custard. Good Times Restaurants Inc. owns and operates 46 Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard locations, 44 in Colorado, with locations in Wyoming, North Dakota, and...
and Steak Escape
Steak Escape
Steak Escape is a restaurant based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Locations are typically found in food courts in shopping malls as well as airports, all serving a variety of menu items including Cheesesteaks.-External links:*...
to open co-branded restaurants.
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 Iowa. Shortly after that, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
health officials reported that an additional 27 people became ill after eating at Taco John's restaurants in Rio Grande City
Rio Grande City, Texas
Rio Grande City is a city in and the county seat of Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,834 at the 2010 census. The city is 41 miles west of McAllen. It is the hometown of former Commander of U.S. Forces in Iraq, General Ricardo Sanchez. The city also holds the March record...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Grand Forks, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. On December 14, Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 131,090 in the county, with a population density of . There were 55,887 housing units, of which 52,470 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
health officials stated that lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
tainted with E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
had been discovered within the supply chain. 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. Taco John's dropped its produce supplier, Bix Produce of Grand Forks, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, as a result of the outbreaks. After a thorough investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health and the FDA, Bix Produce was cleared of any wrong doing in the matter. The source of the outbreak was traced back to the growing fields in California. This incident came about at the same time as an unrelated E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
restaurants in the midwest of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Menu items
Lunch and 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 "Potatoes Olé" (see below), sauces, spices, and salsas.Breakfast menu
Some franchises offer a breakfast menu. Many of the items on the menu use a combination of Potatoes Olé, eggs, sausage, bacon, and a flour tortilla. Selections include breakfast versions of tacos and burritos.Potatoes Olé
Tater Tots
Tater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated taters. Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size....
, but slightly smaller), that are deep fried and then coated with a proprietary blend of approximately 167 spices and seasonings. They are available for purchase by the bucket.
Potatoes Olé are also included as a filling in several different burritos (beef, chicken, steak, and Crunchy Chicken versions of its Meat and Potato Burrito, as well as their Grilled Burrito with the same protein options) (much like Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
's 1/2 lb. burrito
Burrito
A burrito , or taco de harina, is a type of Mexican food. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans or meat are sometimes the only fillings...
), and many of the breakfast items.
Olés are also featured in their Super Potatoes Olé platters, which come in small and regular sizes and are mostly made of Olés covered in nacho cheese, beef, beans, and other Mexican ingredients.
Before at least 1979, Potatoes Olé had been a cylindrical product with center fillings of refried beans
Refried beans
Refried beans is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a somewhat different approach when making the dish.-Ingredients and preparation:...
, cheese, or meat.
Desserts
Cinnamon sugar
Cinnamon sugar is a mixture of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used as a spice for desserts. While premixed versions are available commercially, it is simple to prepare at home, and more economical.-Proportions:...
and Choco-Taco, a frozen waffle
Waffle
A waffle is a batter- or dough-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used....
cone made in the shape of a taco
Taco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
shell that has chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
in it with almond bits and Cini-Sopapilla Bites, also dusted with cinnamon sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Cinnamon sugar is a mixture of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used as a spice for desserts. While premixed versions are available commercially, it is simple to prepare at home, and more economical.-Proportions:...
. The last one is the Apple Grande, a cinnamon puff pastry with apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
filling and shredded cheese and red cinnamon sugar on top.
Seasonal items
During the ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holiday season, Taco John's offers Nachos Navidad, a nacho platter with red and green colored tortilla chips. Jose Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
's song "Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad (song)
"Feliz Navidad" is a Christmas song written in 1970 by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple Spanish chorus "Feliz Navidad" is a Christmas song written in 1970 by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple Spanish chorus "Feliz Navidad" is a...
" 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
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
.
Advertising
Taco John's early mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, 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
Sombrero
Sombrero in English refers to a type of wide-brimmed hat originating in Mexico. In Spanish, however, it is the generic word for "hat", which originates from "sombra", meaning "shade"....
and a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
named Pépé. However, the figure was replaced in the mid-1990s by a more modern, artistic image.
Taco John's recent advertising icons have included Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey is a White-headed Capuchin monkey known for riding a Border Collie at rodeos across the United States.-Early life:...
, a popular rodeo attraction and PRCA Entertainer of the Year, who rides on his dog Ben to the rescue of hungry taco lovers.
Punk band In Defence performed their song "Call More Dudes" in a Taco John's as part of a tribute to the franchise.
Wesley Willis
Wesley Willis
Wesley Willis was a musician and artist from Chicago. A diagnosed chronic schizophrenic, he gained an enormous cult following in the 1990s after releasing several hundred songs of simple but unique music, with emphasis on his humorous, bizarre, and frequently obscene lyrics...
advertised Taco John's in at least one of his songs.