Taco Time is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in a limited menu of Mexican foods. The chain offers dine-in, take away, and drive through at about 300 locations.

The chain was founded in Eugene, Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

, U.S., in 1959 by Ron Fraedrick, who opened the first restaurant adjacent to his alma mater

Alma mater

Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...

, the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

. In 1962, the first Taco Time franchise opened in Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

. By the end of the decade, the company had 48 restaurants in seven Western states. In 1978, the company franchised its first international restaurant, in Lethbridge

Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...

, Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

. In 1979, TacoTime Northwest, became a licensee with the rights to franchise and operate the Taco Time concept independently. Taco Time Northwest's operating region includes Western Washington from Longview to the Canadian border and the eastern Washington cities of Wenatchee and Moses Lake. Taco Time has since expanded, now holding more than 300 franchises in the United States, Canada, Kuwait, and Curacao/Netherlands Antilles.

In 2003, the company was bought by Kahala Franchising L.L.C. of Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...

, which continues to operate the enterprise in addition to about a dozen fast food chains such as Blimpie and Cold Stone Ice Cream.

External links

• Taco Time website
  • Taco Time Canada website
  • Taco Time Northwest website