By Krystle J Bailey
“We’re staying in the fight,” shared Gregory Gregory, owner of Gregory’s Bar in Somers Point. The latest announcement in the Taco Tuesday trademark saga came this week as Taco John’s backed out of the fight against Taco Bell.
“This has really become David and Goliath now,” expressed Gregory about the fast food giant’s pursuit to cancel the Taco Tuesday trademark.
In May, Taco Bell filed a legal petition to cancel the decades-old federal trademark for “Taco Tuesday.” Until this week, Taco John’s owned the rights to the household phrase in 49 U.S. states, while Gregory’s maintained the trademark for New Jersey.
Gregory’s first trademarked the phrase in 1982 after the family agreed to Gregory’s plea to put tacos on the menu. He had recently discovered the cuisine in a Philadelphia food court and noticed the demand for a dish he hadn’t heard of. Using a salsa recipe from an old Playboy magazine, Gregory’s introduced Taco Tuesday to the local crowd over 40 years ago.
Looking forward to their 45th season, Gregory says that it’s the local legacy that keeps him in the fight.
“It’s not about the tacos,” he explained to Shore Local. “It’s about the event, the night, families bringing their kids, and people having a nice meal that they don’t get every day.”
If approved, Taco Bell’s petition would cancel the existing trademark held by Gregory’s. In a recent marketing campaign, Taco Bell hired NBA star LeBron James as a spokesperson for Taco Tuesday. In the ad, LeBron states, “Everyone should be able to say and celebrate Taco Tuesday.”
With six weeks until the first Taco Tuesday of the season, Gregory Gregory says his slingshot might have gotten looser in this David and Goliath fight, but he has no plans to back down any time soon.
“Lebron is still invited to come visit,” shares Gregory. “He is more than welcome to come sling some tacos and meet some of South Jersey’s best athletes!”
Taco Tuesday at Gregory’s is paused during the summer months every year to accommodate the busy season at the shore. The first Taco Tuesday is scheduled for September 5, 2023.
“No matter how this goes, I’m going to make sure everyone in South Jersey knows that Taco Tuesday is at Gregory’s,” declared the Somers Point legendary business owner last month. “If it happens that everyone can use it, fine!”
The battle isn’t over yet. The Gregory family welcomes the legal counsel of a white knight willing to help keep the fight going, but in the meantime, they plan to keep serving delicious food and drinks in their iconic Shore Road establishment.
