Taco Tico ~ regional chain : Newton, Kansas

Latest visit: Oct 2023 (Newton, Kansas)

First visit: Jun 1980 (Ada (?), Oklahoma)

Locations: Kansas (9), Oklahoma (2), Iowa (2), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (1), Texas (1) 

OK, it's Wednesday and we're heading out of Kansas City and back towards home. Our plan was to visit a few towns in rural Kansas, and continue with our thrift shopping. We didn't have breakfast, so by lunch time we're pretty hungry. There's no way I'm going to Kansas without at least one visit to Taco Tico. I'm pretty sure it's in the Bible too. "Thou Shalt not visit the Land of Kansas without paying tribute to the almighty Taco Tico". RJG Chapter 1, Verse 1.

Of all the "Didn't I write about this chain already?" entries, this is the most outlandish oversight. It's ridiculous I have not written about Taco Tico, some 15 years after starting this blog. Why? Because this is where it all started. The seeds of the Regular Joe's Guide were planted here. Better late than never I suppose. Before the RJG existed, I contributed to a website called Roadfood. They had a forum and my first article was called "The Kansas Taco". I think I wrote that piece in 2003. The website appears to be still going, or it could be a different entity altogether. But the forum is gone one way or the other. I can't find it online in any case. Not that it matters, as its content has mostly been covered in the RJG already, especially from this latest trip that I've been documenting. But there's more to that story that I will share here.

This post comes with narrative. So before I put you all to sleep with that, I better cover off on this location here in Newton (north of Wichita). I haven't been to this one before, but it's a classic Taco Tico. The unique architecture, well managed, clean, and crowded. I've often wondered why Taco Tico isn't more popular, and we'll discuss that some more below. Everything is as I remember the venerable chain. The classic mush meat recipe, the cheese, and most importantly - the sauces. They aren't really that much different from Taco Grande and the rest of them, but they are unique to this region. And they've upped their game and added a Carolina Reaper Sauce. Now that's just not fair! Not only does it somehow maintain that awesome flavor, but it packs serious heat. Like I-can't-believe-you-can-get-this-at-a-fast-food-restaurant hot. So now I'm craving Taco Tico all over again. And I can't get it when I want it! Waaaaaaaaaaa. Story of my life. 

---The backstory

I talk a lot about my dad in these pages, and that's because he was a road warrior salesman, and that's the world I knew since I've been cognizant. After my freshmen year of high school, the debate at home was do I get a job? I only had a driver's permit at time since I was 15, so it would have required Mom (or a coworker) to take me back and forth. Dad had a better idea. Why don't you drive me everywhere in my territory? That territory included all of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the cities of Memphis and Kansas City. That's just good parenting right there. I'll get tons of driving experience and Dad gets a free chauffeur. I was a responsible driver even then, so he trusted me. And I got free room and board right? But being a human, I had my own ideas of what traveling on the road should be like. Dad would like to wrap up his day with a "couple of drinks in the room, and we'll walk over to the coffee shop next door." No, we're not going to do just that! If I'm driving, we're going to restaurants - and I want to try some fast food places too. He acquiesced, primarily because his main objection was he didn't want to drink and drive. Which was smart. Since I wasn't drinking yet, I'll be the designated driver, even though that term wasn't in vogue back then. So we had a deal. And that's when I picked up the "phone book method" of finding cool restaurants. That was a useful skill up until the smart phone took over (not so long ago). Even in my own road warrior consulting days, I used that same methodology to great success. 

In Taco Tico's case, it wasn't the phone book, but simply the visual. I don't forget it. We were driving somewhere in Oklahoma - Dad sold to industrial laundries and oftentimes they were in smaller towns. I want to say it was in Ada. That would make sense, driving up US 377. And a quick Google search does show there was a Taco Tico there once. And Google maps shows the distinctive Tico architecture (now a donut shop apparently). But that may not be the same place or even the city we were in. What I remember were the words Taco spelled on top, and Tico on the bottom with each letter embedded into a diamond shape, with alternating red and blue colors. And the whole sign turned in a circle. Essentially what you see on the right, minus animation (credits to the photographer). Dad hated tacos, but he'd just puff away on his ciggies while I enjoyed them for lunch. 

Really that was the beginning for me and the fast food taco. What about Taco Bell you ask? Well, no, not yet. We did have one nearby, as it replaced the Taco Patio we had in Northwest Dallas. But we never went strangely enough. Once I got my license, a buddy and I would often go for a "late night taco" at Taco Bueno, so that was my DFW entre.

Taco Tico does have a cult following, but they've run into some hard times in recent years. At one point, they had some negligent owners who owed the State of Kansas a lot of unpaid tax money. And it almost cleaned them out. There were some independent franchises in other states making money hand over first, so they weren't impacted. But in Kansas they almost imploded. A few of the more responsible franchisers worked together to salvage the brand and now they appear poised for growth. I certainly hope so. Like Colorado for example. We're the western neighbor - come on! For years and years I had wished they would come to DFW, but it never happened. They are a "loose knit" chain, as most of them are independently owned and operated.

As if I didn't have enough history with the brand, I have a personal career story to share as well. In early 1995 I was looking to leave the company I was working for in Colorado Springs (worst job I ever had unfortunately). At that time I was a Sybase DBA, and it was honestly the only point in my career where I was heavily recruited. It was a hot skill for certain. One of those recruiters, during lunch (oh yea, I got wined and dined too...), stated to me that she was originally from Wichita. I said instinctively - looking for common ground - "oh, the home of Taco Tico". She deadpanned back "Yea - my dad started that." Her dad was, of course, Dan Foley. What are the odds? For what its worth, the client she represented did not "win" my services. Probably a good thing as they were based in Minneapolis and I would have moved there. The company I chose was much closer in Denver. And that's where I later met Mrs. RJG, Rude Dante, Old Boss, and many others. What would have happened had I chose the Minnesota job? We'll never know, but my life would have been completely different, that's for sure.

6//80; 7/25/81; 9/18/92; 11/23/01; 5/6/03; 9/15/09; 6/9/16; 10/4/23 (new entry)

Ada, Oklahoma; Shawnee, Oklahoma; Guymon, Oklahoma; Metarie, Louisiana; Mason City, Iowa; Wichita; Texarkana; Lexington, Kentucky; Newton, Kansas