Taco Bill is an Australian restaurant chain serving traditional

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...

. It is the longest founded Mexican franchise in Australia.

History

South Melbourne Restaurant 1990's13022017

The restaurant was established in 1967 by Bill Chilcote (16 October 1925 - 11 December 2011) who was married to a Mexican woman from a family who was in the business themselves, owning several

cantina A cantina is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain. The word is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault. In Italy, the word ''cantina'' refers to a room below the ground ...

s. He came to Australia from the border of Mexico and California and decided to introduce Mexican food to Australia. The first Taco Bill outlet was opened on the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

and provided take-away food. Other outlets were opened firstly in

Bondi, Sydney Bondi () is a suburb of eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of Waverley Council. It is often co ...

and next in Armadale, Melbourne. Currently it has 27 stores in Victoria. Club Taco has over 70.000 active members. A legal dispute with

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includi ...

over the American fast-food chain's planned Australian expansion was resolved in February 2020.

Management

Taco Bill is managed by Tom Kartel, an Iranian native, who arrived in Australia in 1987. He started work as a

kitchen hand A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

at Taco Bill's South Melbourne outlet and opened his own restaurant in Springvale in 1994 and secured another two outlets in Clifton Hill and

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...

over the next four years. Tom bought a 50 percent share of Taco Bill from its owner Stan Teschke in 2002. He received a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from

Swinburne University Swinburne University of Technology (often simply called Swinburne) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1908 as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne to serve those without access t ...

Food and drink

Taco Bill offers a wide range of traditional Mexican food including

tacos A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filling ...

nachos Nachos are a Mexican culinary dish consisting of fried tortilla chips or ''totopos'' covered with melted cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken ...

tortillas A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indigenous peoples of Me ...

quesadillas A quesadilla (; ; Mexican diminutive of ''quesada'') is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Traditionally, a co ...

enchiladas An enchilada (, ) is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations ...

fajitas A fajita (; ), in Tex-Mex cuisine, is any stripped grilled meat with stripped peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish. Popular alternative ...

and

burritos A burrito (, ) is a dish in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine that took form in Ciudad Juárez, consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various ingredients. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed t ...

. Taco Bill was the first to introduce nachos, tacos, and enchiladas to Australia. It was also the first to introduce the

frozen margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up). T ...

to Australia. The materials are sourced locally from local suppliers (including Aztec Mexican Products and Liquor, Bidfood, G&T Chickens, Merchant Australia, Marino Bros, and Ixom) and many of the spices are imported directly from Mexico. Taco Bill offers Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan food and provides dietary or allergen options. It bottles its own trademarked

hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other hot spices for thousands of years ...

, and has previously sold its own

tequila Tequila (; ) is a liquor, distilled beverage made from the Agave tequilana, blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Jalisco, Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ...

and

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

. A wide range of beverages is offered including the

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (,"Villa"
''Collins English Dictionary''. ; ;

Margarita which is sold with a free

sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the we ...

Awards

* Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence (2016, 2020) * Lifestyle FOOD Awards (2007, 2009, 2010)

Charity

The Citizen of the Month is held by Taco Bill every month. It also sponsors several local institutions including schools, colleges and clubs. Among them are:

References

External links

* {{Food chains in Australia Restaurants in Melbourne Restaurants established in 1967 Restaurant chains in Australia 1967 establishments in Australia Mexican restaurants Companies based in Melbourne