Pizza Chain: We don't need no stinkin' dollars

World Net Daily ^ | January 7, 2007 | staff

[kellynla]

Pizza lovers who don't happen to have American currency on them can still purchase their favorite pies with Mexican pesos, thanks to a Texas-based restaurant chain.

Starting this week, Pizza Patrón outlets, which caters heavily to Mexicans, will offer the alternative form of payment.

"We're trying to reach out to our core customer," Antonio Swad, president of Pizza Patrón Inc., told the Dallas Morning News.

"We know they come back [from Mexico] and have pesos left over. We want to be a convenient place for them to spend their pesos."

It's believed no other food chain operating so far from the Mexican border is allowing customers to pay with foreign currency.

Swad said he's prepared to take criticism from American consumers possibly offended by the bypassing of greenbacks.

"We're not really interested in finding the safest spot on the board," he told the paper. "We know the purity of our intention, and we're willing to take the heat when there is heat."

About 60 percent of Pizza Patrón customers and 45 percent of its franchisees are Hispanic.

"If you're not in a border town, I don't see the functional benefit," said Juan Faura, president and chief executive of Cultura, a Dallas-based marketing and advertising firm. "I would see it as a move by the chain to communicate unequivocally to the Hispanic market that they are for them."

"I don't see any other reason for it," Faura added.

Andrew Gamm, Pizza Patrón's director of brand development, said the company has already seen customers spending "a couple hundred pesos" without any advertisement of the service during a test in a Mesquite location.

Founded in 1986, Pizza Patrón has gone from four locations to 59 and more than 40 under development across the American Southwest.

[Young Scholar]

You're clearly the one who's beyond help.

[Sir_Ed]

"I faked my best Canadian accent, and said, "Thank you very much."

You mean you replied:

"Thank you very much, 'ey."

Ed

[gcruse]

No, that would have been 'eh?' but I just clipped the words, said 'em fast and hoped what remained of my Texas accent didn't slip through.

[stylin19a]

I once asked the checkout lady in the grocery store if she would mind takin Hawaiian money...she freaked out, said we can't do that ...blah,blah,blah.
My wife yelled at me for being mean.

[Polybius]

There is only one legal tender in the US to settle debts.... Mexican peso's do not fall under legal tender here...

The term "legal tender" only means that "all United States money is ... A ... valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor".

"A" as in "one of many possible legal offers of payment and not necessarily the legal offer of payment that will be accepted by Joe's Greasy Spoon Diner".

Private businesses may accept or refuse to accept whatever currency they please for their goods and services as long as the Government gets its tax bite.

So says the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

U.S. Department of the Treasury:..........Question: I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?................. Answer: The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues.".............. This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.

[Polybius]

I once asked the checkout lady in the grocery store if she would mind takin Hawaiian money...she freaked out, said we can't do that ...blah,blah,blah. My wife yelled at me for being mean.

Mind taking Hawaiian money?!?!?

Heck, no!!!!

Old Hawaiian banknotes are worth BIG bucks.

This one is worth between $40,000 and $60,000.

[fso301]

I'd take payment in any exchangeable currency.

[Old Professer]

"Andrew Gamm, Pizza Patrón's director of brand development, said the company has already seen customers spending "a couple hundred pesos" without any advertisement of the service during a test in a Mesquite location."

That's about $18.

[RonF]

A vendor in the U.S. is REQUIRED to take American money. They can also take anything else they want.

[stylin19a]

yikes....i wasn't talking about old notes, but that would have been even funnier...spending 8 bucks on twinkies with an old Hawaiian bank note, not knowing they ( the notes, not the twinkies) were worth a bundle....

[Old Professer]

Really? On a tortilla?

[kellynla]

okay, it appears that you guys have failed to recognize the obvious.
What these pizza parlors are doing is catering to the illegals who are crossing the border.
No one who works or even collects welfare in America for a day is paid in pesos.

[Polybius]

"I faked my best Canadian accent, and said, "Thank you very much."

You mean you replied: "Thank you very much, 'ey."

Which reminds me of an exchange I had with my non-Canadian-speaking wife when we got back in our car after crossing the Washington State - British Columbia border and asking for directions at the B.C. Visitor Center.

"So, we need to find Route 1 on the map."

"No, we need to find Route 1-A."

"No, Route 1."

"No, Route 1-A."

"She did not say Route 1-A. She said Route 1."

"No, she said, 'Take Route 1-A'. I distinctly remember her saying that."

"No, she did not say, 'Take Route 1-A'. She said 'Take Route 1, eh''.

"That's what I said she said and you just said it twice!"

[Minutemen]

Nah, just sarcasm!

[tomcorn]

Didn't miss anything... some are illegals...some are Mexican tourists visiting US relatives on tourist visas, some are Mexican Americans coming back from Mexico. I've come back from Quintana Roo with 20 Bucks worth of pesos or so and I'm a Gringo.

[kellynla]

yeaaaaaa right! LMAO

believe what you like but those of us who know better know what is going on with these pizza parlors.
just don't piss in my ear and try to tell me it's raining.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

When I lived in Maine, I routinely got Canadian currency from my local bank. (I'd frequently buy a roll of quarters and over 50% of them would be Canadian quarters) -- etc.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Uh, no, you are making assumptions.

Where I live, many hispanics have pesos, they cross into mexico and back every few weeks.

If you live near the border, you may accumulate pesos pretty easily. In fact, I got 10 Nuevos Pesos sitting on my desk in change left over from last week, and lots more laying around in jars from previous trips.

[razorback-bert]

I can see the menu:

Large One Topping 10 11 9 13 pesos

[MaxMax]

"We don't need no stinkin' dollars!"

Are you talking to me?