Taco Bell has officially won its fight over the “Taco Tuesday” trademark, allowing the restaurant chain to use the phrase in all 50 states after a New Jersey restaurant “parted ways” with the term.
The battle began months ago and came to a close on Tuesday with Taco Bell sharing in a statement that its “ambitious goal has been met,” thanks to Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar in Somers Point, New Jersey, deciding to forfeit its trademark this week after more than 40 years of owning it.
Taco Bell did not share if there was a financial settlement involved in getting the restaurant to release the trademark.
“The response we’ve seen over the last six months since taking action to free ‘Taco Tuesday’ is the exact reason we felt it was worth freeing it in the first place,” Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, Taylor Montgomery, told CNN.
Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar co-owner Gregory Gregory told CNN that the trademark brought pride to the restaurant, but releasing it will “allow others in New Jersey the same opportunity to build their own traditions and help spread Taco Tuesdays throughout New Jersey.”
The decision to relinquish the trademark means Taco Bello and Gregory will avoid court.
Taco Bell began its battle to free the iconic term so that everyone would be able to “make, sell, eat, and celebrate tacos” freely.
By removing the legalities surrounding “Taco Tuesday,” Taco Bell says that restaurants across the nation can use the term “without fear of legal repercussion.”
To celebrate the move, Taco Bell is giving New Jersey members of its app-based loyalty program free Doritos Locos Tacos on November 21.