I’d eat tacos every single day if it were good for me. I’d never get tired of them! Fast-food Mexican meals might not be five-star dining, but Taco Tico had a special something that kept us Midwesterners coming back. When the chain disappeared from cities like Anderson more than forty years ago, it left more than repurposed buildings: a gaping, taco-shaped hole opened up in the hearts -and stomachs- of those who grew up with its take on Tex-Mex cuisine.
I’ve written about it before, but the Taco Tico story began around 1960 when Dan and Robin Foley teamed up with their cousins, Richard and Mike, to help grow a fast-food Mexican chain called Taco Grande. Two years later, the Foleys decided to carve their own path by opening the first Taco Tico in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas1. The concept took off: by 1967, Taco Tico was franchising new locations. The chain made its way to Central Indiana in the early 1970s2. For many Hoosiers, that was the start of a lifelong love affair.
In Indiana, Dan Pipkins’ Indiana3 Restaurants Group4 was responsible for expanding the chain into Anderson, Bloomington, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie, and Terre Haute. Each $50,000 restaurant sat up to seventy-five guests and featured Spanish decor with a full menu of Mexican-inspired dishes like Sanchos, crustos, and tostadas. Diners could enjoy their meals in-house, grab them to-go, or opt for the convenience of the drive-through.
Anderson’s first Taco Tico opened its doors in early 1974 at 1203 E. 53rd Street5. The following May, a second location just south of Mounds Mall at 1916 Mounds Road came online6. The city’s third Taco Tico took a bit longer to arrive. Situated on the outskirts of North Anderson at 2902 Broadway, it finally opened in 19787. Ask anyone who remembers, and they’ll tell you: Taco Tico was a hit!
“It’s easy!” Screamed period ads for Taco Tico Bingo. “Just pick up a Taco Tico Bingo card (No purchase necessary). “Scratch off all the silver squares on the card. If your card matches three same Taco Tico menu items in a straight row, you win that delicious Taco Tico treat8!”
A winning Taco Tico bingo card meant free food- everything from a small drink and crustos to tacos, burritos, sanchos, tostadas, and even a full dinner plate. The real prize was filling out the back of the card, which entered you into a sweepstakes for a drawing of $1,0009. Adjusted for today, that’s about $4,800- big money just for playing along!
As the 1970s came to an end, Indiana’s Taco Tico locations faced growing challenges. By 1983, only seven remained. That same year, Indiana Restaurants Group chose not to renew its contract with the corporate office. Instead, its remaining locations rebranded as Taco Casita and introduced a larger menu with new items like potato skins. “…Our menu items will remain the same,” the company said as it explained its new identity, “but the changes should mean better quality10.”
Unfortunately, Taco Casita’s run was short-lived. The Broadway location was the first to go, shutting its doors by February 1984 after just six years in business11. The Mounds Road location disappeared by 1986, apparently making way for a salon called Beauty Unlimited12 and, later, Pizza Hut13. 1986 seems to have marked the end of the 53rd Street location, too. It appears that First Health Foods relocated to the shuttered store that November14.
I’m sure someone will eagerly correct me in the comments if I’ve got any of those dates wrong, but one thing’s for sure- it’s been about forty years since Taco Tico or Taco Casita had a presence in Anderson. As long as I can remember, the old 53rd Street location has been home to a nail salon called Nail Art. The Mounds Road spot is still technically a Pizza Hut, but it’s been abandoned for at least a decade; maybe longer. Meanwhile, the Broadway store has lived a few different lives. I remember it as the Arizona Grill and Tio’s Mexican Restaurant. Today, it’s home to Kung Fu Cafe.
Unfortunately, the kitschy stucco walls and enormous, arched windows are absent from Anderson’s old Taco Ticos today. So is the food. I’ve heard that a few authentic locations in Kentucky have stood the test of time, but Lexington’s too far for me to venture on a whim. Fortunately, the last Taco Casita in Terre Haute was everything I’d hoped for and more when I visited late last year! I dug into a giant burrito and a delicious enchilada, both smothered in sauce and cheese, served up on a foam plate with a side of refried beans.
Lunch at Terre Haute’s Taco Casita was a real treat, but it also left me with a bittersweet feeling as I contemplated what’s missing from places like Anderson, Muncie, Kokomo, and Bloomington- all cities that once had their own Taco Tico outposts. It’s hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia when you think about those old spots, the ones you could always count on. Nearly everyone I’ve talked to in Anderson misses Taco Tico’s unique flavor, and its absence is a reminder of how deeply culinary gems like Sanchos and crustos can leave a mark on our favorite memories.
Sources Cited
1 Taco Grande founder dies (2017, June 8). The Wichita Eagle. Web. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
2 The Two Taco Tico Restaurants of Anderson Serve Genuine Mexican Foods Of High Quality (1976, September 26). The Anderson Herald. p. 26.
3 Taco Tico restaurants specialize in south-of-border food favorites (1978, June 20). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 14.
4 Business Briefs (1978, May 13). The Muncie Star. p. 8.
5 Taco Tico Tacos (1974, May 26). The Anderson Herald. p. 54.
6 Taco Tico (1974, June 21). The Anderson Herald. P. 15.
7 Taco Tico Opens At 2902 Broadway With South-of-the-Border Foods (1978, September 24). The Anderson Herald. P. 41.
8 Play!…and Win! (1978, September 7). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 15.
9 (See footnote 8).
10 Restaurants changing name (1983, November 9). The Anderson Herald. p. 12.
11 Taco Casitas (1984, February 24). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 16.
12 Unlimited Beauty Is Yours (1986, November 2). The Anderson Herald. p. 37.
13 Now Accepting applications for Pizza Hut Delivery Drivers (1986, May 17). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 15.
14 First Health Foods (1986, November 12). The Pendleton Times-Post. p. 3.
