Taco Bell Wants to Help Pick Up Your Taco Tuesday Tab

The only thing better than tacos are free tacos.

Taco Bell has announced that on Tuesday, September 12, Taco Tuesday fans (nearly) everywhere can celebrate Taco Tuesday (nearly) anywhere, and Taco Bell will help pay for it. What's the "nearly" all about? The offer will not be good in New Jersey, because in the Garden State, the Taco Tuesday trademark is owned by the Atlantic City restaurant Gregory’s who patented it in 1979.

Anyone outside of New Jersey who uses DoorDash to order tacos from any participating vendor will have a portion of their tab covered. (Details have not yet been released on exactly what portion will be covered.) Taco Bell plans to open a $5 million taco tab with DoorDash to help pay portions of taco lovers’ bills, saying that “because now that Taco Tuesday is free—your tacos should be, too.” (Except in New Jersey, of course.)

Additionally, during the Taco Tuesdays leading up to the September 12 celebration (Aug. 15, 22, 29, and Sept. 5), all Taco Bell locations will offer one free Doritos Locos Taco per person every Tuesday, with no purchase necessary. The deal is good in person or through Taco Bell’s app, but not through third-party apps, like DoorDash or Grubhub.

Why Is Taco Bell Doing This?

The promotion is Taco Bell's way of celebrating the outcome of its recent legal petition to liberate the phrase "Taco Tuesday" from its trademark, formerly owned by competitor Taco John's. The smaller taco chain with fewer than 400 locations bravely decided to relinquish its ownership of the phrase, allowing businesses to freely use it.

In a press release, Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell's U.S. chief marketing officer said, "Taco Tuesday belongs to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos, and this Free-For-All will not only thank taco fans who supported the cause, but will also spotlight local restaurants and vendors who can now embrace Taco Tuesdays without fear of legal action."

After releasing the trademarked phrase, Taco John's issued a philanthropic challenge: It pledged to contribute $100 per Taco John’s location to Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE) which helps employees' children who are "battling a health crisis, death or natural disaster." The company invited Taco Bell and other competitors to do the same. The Taco Bell Foundation has agreed to match the donation.

Over the next month, there’s going to be a lot of free tacos helping the newly liberated Taco Tuesday phrase really earn its name. Because "when tacos win, we all win."