“It’s More Bueno” (Taco Bueno)

Taco Bueno is a restaurant that began in Abilene in 1967. The restaurant chain (a competitor to Taco Bell) now has many locations is several states and is headquartered in Farmers Branch, Texas.
   
Taco Bueno’s slogan (trademarked in 2002) is “It’s More Bueno.” The Spanish is “muy bueno”—very good. “More Bueno”—a mix of English and Spanish—is seldom spoken in “Spanglish.”
   
   
Wikipedia: Taco Bueno
Taco Bueno is a U.S.-based fast-food restaurant chain specializing in Tex-Mex-style Mexican cuisine. Currently headquartered in Farmers Branch, Texas, the first location was in Abilene, Texas in 1967. The company has locations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas, with concentrations in North Texas and Oklahoma. The chain currently includes 169 restaurants, including recent additions in Kansas City, Missouri; Monroe, North Carolina; Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Conroe, Texas. Contracts for 2008 include more stores in Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. However, the Monroe and Rock Hill locations have closed.
 
In 1981 Taco Bueno was acquired by British food manufacturer Unigate, then was sold to Carl’s Jr.‘s franchisor CKE Restaurants in 1996. The private investment group Jacobson Partners purchased the chain in 2001, and in 2005 Palladium Equity Partners procured the company.
 
The chain differentiates itself from competitors such as Taco Bell by promoting the fresh ingredients used in many of their menu items. This is emphasized by television and radio ad campaigns that focus on employees of an unnamed Mexican fast-food chain spying on Taco Bueno to determine why Bueno’s food tastes superior. 
 
Taco Bueno
WHAT MAKE US MORE BUENO
(IT’S MORE BUENO video)
   
Arkansas Online (March 28, 2008)
CHEAP EATS: Taco Bueno’s food fast, but tastes and looks fresh
By Eric E. Harrison
LITTLE ROCK — Taco Bueno’s motto, “It’s more Bueno,” is as blatant an example of Spanglish as you’re likely to find.
 
Linguistic mayhem aside, the offerings of this fast-Mexican chain, which recently opened its second central Arkansas location (the first, 10114 Mabelvale Plaza Drive in Little Rock, opened in 2006) in what is becoming Maumelle’s restaurant row, are “more Bueno,” or at least more than those at that other national taco chain.
 
The food tastes fresher, more of it appears to actually have been made on the premises (as opposed to shipped in on a truck and reheated out of a bucket) and there’s a greater menu variety, especially more than outlets of that other national taco chain that have been grafted onto outlets of a national chicken chain.
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark IT’S MORE BUENO
Translations The foreign wording in the mark translates into English as “good,” “kind,” “simple,” “fine,” “right,” “sound,” “funny,” “amusing,” “surprising,” or “amazing”.
Goods and Services IC 043. US 100 101. G & S: Restaurant Services. FIRST USE: 20020500. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20020500
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 78196808
Filing Date December 20, 2002
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition April 6, 2004
Registration Number 2927714
Registration Date February 22, 2005
Owner (REGISTRANT) Taco Bueno Restaurants, Inc. CORPORATION TEXAS Park West 1, 1605 LBJ Freeway Suite 800 Farmers Branch TEXAS 75234
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Attorney of Record Steven J. Nataupsky
Prior Registrations 1197032;1621466;1842523;1993502;2648561;AND OTHERS
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark TACO BUENO
Translations The Spanish word “Taco” is the name of a food product and the English translation of the word “Bueno” is “Good”.
Goods and Services IC 042. US 100. G & S: Restaurant Services. FIRST USE: 19670717. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19670717
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 73270219
Filing Date July 14, 1980
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition March 9, 1982
Registration Number 1197032
Registration Date June 1, 1982
Owner (REGISTRANT) Casa Bonita, Inc. CORPORATION TEXAS 8710 Empress Row Dallas TEXAS 75247
(LAST LISTED OWNER) TACO BUENO RESTAURANTS, INC. CORPORATION BY CHANGE OF NAME TEXAS Park West 1, 1605 LBJ Freeway Suite 800 Farmers Branch TEXAS 75234
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Prior Registrations 1064145
Disclaimer Applicant disclaims the word “Taco” apart from the mark as shown, without waiving any common law, or other rights, which it may have in the disclaimed word.
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20020906.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20020906
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE