Welcome Back Rusty
Dallas-Fort Worth taco chain sees error of its ways and reclaims original name
The Dallas-Fort Worth taco chain which has been known since 2015 as R Taco is returning to its roots and its original name.
The chain has come to its senses and will once again do business under its original name: Rusty Taco.
Congrats! Rusty Taco is a lot catchier than R Taco — and more importantly, if you are a reporter, a lot easier to search for on the worldwide web. Have you ever tried Googling R Taco? It's a nightmare.
Rusty Taco was opened in 2010 by founder Rusty Fenton, and has grown to 27 restaurants in six states. It's now part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants, one of the largest restaurant companies in the U.S.
There are two locations in Fort Worth, plus Hurst, Mansfield, and one coming soon to Burleson.
They have nice little tacos on good corn tortillas, in varieties such as brisket, pork, and their signature picadillo, with spicy ground beef, potatoes, onion, and cilantro.
Their selection of vegetarian tacos includes one with grilled poblanos, mushroom, onion, and red pepper; and another with black beans and pumpkin seeds.
Sadly, Rusty Fenton, who also founded Uncle Julio's, passed away in 2013 from cancer at the early age of 53.
In 2015, the company decided to rebrand itself as R Taco, with a fairly convoluted explanation about growing the business beyond North Texas.
"Shortening the name to 'R Taco' still provides a link to co-founder Rusty Fenton's legacy while the phonetic play on 'R' sounding like 'our' is friendly and welcoming, like the spirit of the brand," said then-CEO Steve Dunn. Omigosh, no. Just no.
A release that announces the company's decision to ditch "R Taco" and return to the original name says that it "reflects the brand's dedication to Rusty Taco's genuine family heritage and Fenton's vision of a community-driven gathering place."
Okay, but wasn't it always sorta known as Rusty Taco, anyway? Did anyone ever say, "Hey let's meet at R Taco!"?
"In our hearts, we've always been Rusty Taco, so we decided to go back to our roots and continue Rusty's legacy of approachable, delicious food with the original name," says Tim Casey, who has the title of Brand Head. "Our menu and commitment to fresh street tacos and margaritas made with fresh lime juice and cheap tequila remains true to Rusty’s vision."
They're hosting a celebration with a party on the patio of the original location at 4802 Greenville Ave. on September 8, from 6-9 pm. There'll be $2 tacos, live music from Jayson Bales – who performed at the first grand opening in 2010 – and giveaways, including limited-edition T-shirts designed by artist Sean Starr.