In Australia,
Salsa's Fresh Mex Grill has owned the trademark to the term since 2011. In Canada,
MTY Food Group's
TacoTime has owned the trademark for the term since 1997. Individual franchises of Wyoming-based fast food restaurant
Taco John's first started using the term in late 1979 and the early 1980s, with an Indiana franchise being the first. Tortilla Flats owned a trademark for "Taco Tuesday" in California in 1984 and used it in a lawsuit in 1997. In 2019,
Los Angeles Lakers basketball player
LeBron James began sharing social media posts on
Instagram about his family's weekly taco dinners dubbed "Taco Tuesdays". Through
shell company LBJ Trademarks LLC, he filed a trademark on the term "Taco Tuesday" for use in downloadable audio/visual works, podcasts, social media, online marketing, and entertainment services. In practice, Taco John's was unable to stop widespread use of the term regardless. On July 18, 2023, Taco John's CEO, Jim Creel, announced that they would abandon the "Taco Tuesday" trademark, leaving New Jersey as the last state where the phrase remained trademarked. On October 24, 2023, it was announced that Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, owner of the trademark in New Jersey, also relinquished the trademark, ending the term's trademarked status for the entire United States. ==References==