By Krystle J Bailey
Gregory Gregory, the owner of the iconic Gregory’s Restaurant in Somers Point, NJ, isn’t backing down from what he calls a “David and Goliath” battle. In this particular story, Goliath happens to be the international taco chain Taco Bell.
Last month, Taco Bell filed a legal petition to cancel the decades-old federal trademark for “Taco Tuesday.” While Taco John’s owns the rights to the household phrase in 49 U.S. states, Gregory Gregory and his family own the trademark in New Jersey.
Gregory’s first trademarked the phrase in 1979 when Gregory Gregory pleaded with his family to let him put these newfound “tacos” he had discovered on the menu. The restauranteur noticed the demand in a Philadelphia food court and set out in pursuit of the perfect taco to serve at his restaurant.
When the family agreed to serve the new dish one day each week, Taco Tuesday was born, and the tacos quickly became a hot commodity in Somers Point. Encouraged by a college professor, Gregory Gregory signed the documents giving him rights to the Taco Tuesday trademark in 1982.
If approved, Taco Bell’s petition would cancel the existing trademark held by Gregory’s and Taco John’s so all restaurants could use the term freely. 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.”
Since Taco Bell’s announcement of their petition, Gregory’s has been booming with local support for Taco Tuesday, from baskets of tacos to Taco Tuesday t-shirts selling by the dozens. The legal battle is still pending, with outcomes to be determined.
“No matter how this goes, I’m going to make sure everyone in South Jersey knows that Taco Tuesday is at Gregory’s,” shares Gregory Gregory. “If it happens that everyone can use it, fine! I would love to see LeBron come down and talk to me about buying my Taco Tuesday. I think that could be quite the NBA Playoff of the century. They’re a big company; I’m just the little guy trying to make a living.”
