Taco Bell is hosting three Taco Tuesday popup events in downtown Los Angeles to support local street vendors participating in the city’s Ave 26 Family Night Market. The initiative is in partnership with Southern California-based Revolution Carts.
The partnership started in October, when Taco Bell noted it wanted to break down barriers for serving Hispanic and Latin cuisines on Taco Tuesdays after the company’s battle to “liberate that trademark” nationwide. It initially included 20 permit-compliant and customized Revolution Carts provided to small business owners. This summer, Taco Bell and Revolution Carts are expanding their partnership to distribute 26 sidewalk-legal carts at each of the “Taco Tuesday” Ave 26 events, which will be held in the Arts District June 18, July 23, and Aug. 13.
Taco Bell has noted that the culinary hotspot of Southern California, with heavy influence from Latin American cultures created by street vendors, inspires its menu.
“However, these hard-working vendors often face challenges to successfully operate their family-owned small businesses, like gaining access to regulation-compliant equipment, receiving permits, and even facing harassment,” the company states. “Ever since liberating the Taco Tuesday trademark last year, Taco Bell has been on a mission to reduce the limitations so often found in making, selling or eating tacos — or any food.”
The Ave 26 Family Night Market, which includes food vendors, music, and art, originally started in Lincoln Heights but was required to relocate in 2021 to its current home at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena. With the added support from Taco Bell, however, the market is returning for three nights of “Taco Tuesdays in the Arts District,” downtown on June 18, July 23, and Aug. 13 from 5-10 p.m.
"We're proud to keep supporting street vendors and night markets here in Southern California, like Ave 26, where we're seeing tradition meet innovation on the frontlines of food fusion," Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery said in a statement. "Street food creativity and culture continue to inspire us at Taco Bell as we evolve our own menu, and we're excited to continue engaging with these entrepreneurs in more ways."
Revolution Carts was started by Richard Gomez, Matthew Geller, and Patrick Lennon who, in 2021, designed the first LA County Health Department-permitted, prepackaged, hot holding pushcart for vendors who wanted the opportunity to sell legally with the LA City Sidewalk Vending Permit.
“Our organization is motivated to advocate and support the mobile food economy and their people, and by partnering with Taco Bell we are able to increase our reach of support,” Gomez said in a statement. “These vendors give their customers their best every day, and it is important that we give back to them as well to show our appreciation for all their services and sacrifices they make to serve us.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]