An Indiana judge has ended a years-long dispute between a restaurant owner and a county commission, finally ruling that tacos and burritos are Mexican sandwiches.
Martin Quintana, owner of Famous Tacos, a Mexican-style restaurant serving made-to-order burritos, tacos and other foods about 195 miles north of Indianapolis, has been seeking zoning approval from the Fort Wayne Planning Commission since 2019. I asked for it. Quintana’s request was to upgrade the space from a single-family designation to limited commercial occupancy for his business, according to court documents published by local news outlet WISH.
To be approved, you must agree to a written commitment that highlights certain restrictions on your business. To comply, Quintana’s restaurant had to be a “sandwich bar-style” establishment that sold “made-to-order” or “Subway-style” sandwiches. Additionally, the promise excluded fast-food restaurant chains such as Arby’s, McDonald’s and Wendy’s, court documents state.
“It became a discussion of tacos or sandwiches. So we thought it would be easy to agree that it fit within the nature and scope of what we were anticipating,” according to court documents. , Quintana’s representative said in 2022.
After years of legal proceedings, Allen Superior Court Judge Craig Bovey ruled Monday that Famous Taco is eligible to open and operate under the terms of an original written undertaking made in 2019. handed down a judgment. Bovey said the restaurant complies with the law. says the court document.
“The court agrees with Quintana that tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches, and the original written agreement does not limit the potential restaurant to American-style sandwiches,” Bovey said. the judgment stated.
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The judge also said other culturally authentic restaurants have the opportunity to operate under the terms of a written commitment as well.
“The original written commitment also allows restaurants to serve made-to-order Greek gyros, Indian naan wraps, and Vietnamese banh mi, provided they meet other enumerated conditions,” the judge wrote. The verdict was given.
USA TODAY has reached out to both Famous Taco and an attorney for the Fort Wayne Planning Commission for comment.
Ahjane Forbes is a reporter on USA TODAY’s National Trends team. Ajane covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy topics.Please email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Instagram, Threads, and X (Twitter).
