Golden Taco Award Launches Nationwide Contest

The Golden Taco Award is the latest venture from Pamela Waitt, a prominent figure in the Southern California food scene. Waitt is the founder of the OC Restaurant Association, OC Restaurant Week, and the prestigious Golden Foodie Awards, demonstrating a long history of creating successful culinary events. Her acquisition of the TacoTuesday.com domain in 2019 was a strategic move to create a definitive online hub for taco culture. The contest's reliance on Instagram engagement for determining winners reflects a significant trend in the restaurant industry. According to recent studies, 75% of diners have chosen a restaurant based on social media photos, and 60% of Instagram users regularly browse food content before deciding where to eat. This positions visual platforms as powerful drivers of consumer choice and food trends. TacoTuesday.com has actively engaged in the culture surrounding its namesake day, notably supporting the movement to free the "Taco Tuesday" trademark. The phrase, originally coined as "Taco Twosday" by the chain Taco John's in the 1980s, was trademarked in 1989. TacoTuesday.com argued that the term had become a cultural phenomenon, akin to "Happy Hour," and should be open for all to use. The nationwide competition will spotlight regional taco hubs, including Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles. Winners are determined by the highest verified engagement on Instagram, receiving official wall art, a feature on TacoTuesday.com, and dedicated social media promotion. This model energizes local pride and provides significant digital marketing value to winning establishments. For the Chicago culinary scene, this presents a major opportunity for local taquerias to gain national visibility. Establishments like Birrieria Zaragoza, known for its goat birria, and Taqueria El Asadero, a local favorite for carne asada, are strong potential contenders based on their local acclaim. The contest could highlight the city's diverse and high-quality taco offerings on a larger scale. The platform's growth to over 100,000 monthly visitors indicates a strong digital community. By partnering with brands like El Jimador tequila, TacoTuesday.com has demonstrated a model for leveraging cultural moments into effective marketing ecosystems, offering a blueprint for how food and beverage companies can build engagement around weekly traditions.