UW American Heritage Center to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Taco Johns

As the holder of historical records of Taco John’s, the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center (AHC) will host a “Taco Tuesday with Taco John’s” event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Taco John’s Tuesday, July 23.

Additionally, the AHC will have an exhibit of Taco John’s materials on display in the main lobby from Friday, July 5, through Wednesday, July 31.

The event, free and open to the public, is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Centennial Complex, located at 2111 East Willet Drive. Free parking is available in the Centennial Complex lot, but patrons must register their vehicles at the AHC front desk. For more information about the UW campus and directions, visit www.uwyo.edu/tps/.

The event will feature free Taco John’s tacos to visitors (while supplies last) and Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) giveaways, and allow visitors the opportunity to see the Taco John’s exhibition, as well as other exhibitions in both the AHC and UW Art Museum.

Wyoming-based Taco John’s got its start 50 years ago during CFD. Today, there are nearly 400 restaurants in 23 states. In 1989, the company trademarked the widely used term “Taco Tuesday.”

Taco John’s takes its tacos and customer base seriously: Through generational market research, new menu offerings and a rebranding effort, Taco John’s is positioning itself for the next 50 years. The Cheyenne headquarters employs roughly 250 people, and the company continues to support Wyoming causes such as Climb Wyoming and Black Dog Animal Rescue. Taco John’s has been collaborating with the AHC since 2004 to ensure the preservation of its corporate history.

“With Taco John’s 50th anniversary, we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate all things Wyoming,” says Molly Marcusse, instruction and reference archivist for the AHC. “Between Laramie’s Jubilee Days and CFD taking place within a week of each other, it made sense to celebrate Taco John’s in this way. It’s a great opportunity for us to support and celebrate one of our collections and to encourage visitors to spend some time exploring the other AHC exhibits as well as those on display at the Art Museum.”

For more information, call Jennifer Kirk at (307) 766-6835 or email jkirk3@uwyo.edu.