Taco Time (stylized as TacoTime) is an American fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-American food. The chain has over 226 locations in the United States and 74 locations in Western Canada. It was founded in Eugene, Oregon, in 1960 by Ron Fraedrick.

History

The chain was founded in Eugene by Ron Fraedrick (1928–2015), who opened the first restaurant near his alma mater, the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

, at 13th Avenue and High Street in January 1960. In 1962, the first Taco Time

franchise Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

opened in

White Center, Washington White Center is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It lies between West Seattle and Burien. The population was 16,631 at the 2020 census. White Center is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Rat City" d ...

. In the 1970s, the company expanded to 48 restaurants in seven

Western states The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

. In 1978, the company franchised its first international restaurant in Lethbridge,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada. In 1979,

Taco Time Northwest Taco Time Northwest is a fast-food restaurant chain with over 70 locations in western and central Washington state. History The first Taco Time opened in Eugene, Oregon in 1961. The following year, Frank Tonkin, Sr., opened the restaurant's firs ...

became a licensee with the rights to franchise and operate the Taco Time concept independently. Taco Time Northwest's operating region includes

western Washington Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as the area of Washington state west of the Cascade Mountains. This region is home to the state's largest city, Seattle, the state capital, Olympia, and most of the state's residents. T ...

from Longview to the Canada–United States border and the eastern Washington cities of

Wenatchee Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...

and

Moses Lake Moses Lake is a lake and reservoir along the course of Crab Creek, in Washington state, USA. Moses Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, as Crab Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River. Although originally a shallow natural lake, Moses ...

. In 1984, a location in

The Dalles The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...

was poisoned by members of the Rajneesh movement in a bioterror attack. Taco Time has since expanded, now holding more than 300 franchises in the United States, Canada,

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

, and Netherlands Antilles ( Curaçao). During the 1990s, there were also multiple locations in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. In 2003, the company was bought by

Kahala Brands Kahala Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada-based MTY Food Group Inc. of Montreal, Quebec. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kahala is one of North America's largest holding company of franchise fast food restaurant companies. In May 2016 ...

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

References

External links

* * {{Fast-food chains of the United States Kahala Brands Companies based in Eugene, Oregon Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona Privately held companies based in Oregon Restaurants in Oregon Economy of the Western United States Regional restaurant chains in the United States Fast-food chains of the United States Fast-food chains of Canada Restaurants established in 1960 Fast-food Mexican restaurants Multinational companies 1960 establishments in Oregon 2003 mergers and acquisitions Restaurants in Eugene, Oregon