5/18/2023 Irvine, CA – In a bold move, Taco Bell has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week to cancel the trademark of “Taco Tuesday” held by its rival Taco John’s. Taco Bell claims that the phrase is too generic and common to be owned by anyone, and that it violates the American ideal of “the pursuit of happiness”. Taco Bell says it wants to liberate “Taco Tuesday” for all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos.

Today though, Taco Bell has taken its fight to a new level by applying for liquor licenses in most Taco Bell locations which would complement their Taco Bell Cantina restaurants. Why would Taco Bell do that you might ask? It’s all about Tuesday marketing. Welcome to “Margarita Martes” or “Margarita Tuesday” in English. According to insiders, Taco Bell has submitted a trademark application of its own to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase “Margarita Martes”. If Taco Bell succeeds on both fronts it would in essence give Taco Bell the exclusive use of the Spanish version of Tuesday marketing efforts.

Taco Bell insists that to properly celebrate Mexican food, we need to use the words correctly. “Taco Tuesday doesn’t make sense at all,” said a Taco Bell spokesperson. “Tacos come from Mexico, and Tuesday is an English word. In Spanish, Tuesday is martes. So, if you want to celebrate tacos on Tuesday, Taco John’s should call it ‘Martes de Tacos’.”

Jim Creel, CEO of Taco John’s was not amused, “We’re not going to let some corporate bully take away our heritage and our legacy while at the same time implementing their own version. We’ve been serving authentic tacos on Tuesdays for over 30 years. I mean what’s next? Trademarks for Nachos Noviembre? Fajita Febrero?”

“Taco Bell is all about innovation and creativity,” Taco Bell CEO Mark King said. “We are always looking for new ways to surprise and delight our customers. Margarita Martes is just one of our many initiatives that showcase our passion and commitment to serving the best Mexican-inspired food and drinks in the world. We are confident that our customers will love Margarita Martes as much as we do.”

Interesting perspectives were given by taco and margarita lovers on social media:

• “Taco John’s should just give up and let Taco Bell have their way. After all, Taco Bell is the ultimate authority on authentic Mexican cuisine. #not” – @TeamTacoJohns
• “I think it’s hilarious. I love Taco Bell and I love margaritas. Margarita Martes sounds way better than Taco Tuesday. #MargaritaMartes” – @VotingForDoubleM
• “Too funny. What’s next? Maybe Taco Bell will sue Mexico for using the word taco.” – @Tacos4ever
• “@tacobell @tacojohns Can’t we all just get along? Why can’t we have both tacos and margaritas on Tuesdays? #PeaceAndLove #TacosAndMargaritas” – @PeaceMaker

Taco John’s, which has about 400 locations in 23 states, trademarked “Taco Tuesday” back in 1989 and has been using it as a keystone of its marketing efforts ever since. Creel said he was not intimidated by Taco Bell’s filings and that he was grateful for the free publicity. He also said that Taco John’s is the best place to celebrate Taco Tuesday, and that Taco Bell is a “big, bad bully” that wants to fill the pockets of its army of lawyers.

Taco Bell, which has more than 8,200 restaurants worldwide, says it has no intention of seeking damages from Taco John’s, but that it simply wants reason and common sense. Taco Bell believes its “Margarita Martes” campaign is the only authentic approach to this debate. “Margarita Martes” will kick off in locations as liquor licenses are approved and will be a weekly promotion offering customers a free margarita with any purchase of a taco or burrito.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Taco Bell’s petitions. What do you think? Do you support Taco Bell’s petitions? Do you prefer Taco Tuesday or Margarita Martes? Let us know in the comments below.