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A Judge Ruled Tacos Are Sandwiches — Here's Why That Matters
Food & Wine ^ | May 20, 2024 | Stacey Leasca

Posted on 05/22/2024 10:19:52 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Though this ruling can feel deeply unserious, it has major consequences for one small business.

What, exactly, defines a sandwich? It's a question people have been arguing over since the dawn of time. But, at least according to one Indiana judge, tacos fall into whatever that definition may be.

In May, Allen County Superior Court Judge Craig Bobay ruled that "tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches." Though this ruling can feel deeply unserious, it has major consequences for one small business that was hoping to open a restaurant in the city of Fort Wayne.

As the Associated Press reported, the legal battle was brought to the courts by Martin Quintana, nearly three years ago after he attempted to open a second location for his restaurant The Famous Taco. However, his plans were thwarted due to the fact that he agreed to a written commitment with the local neighborhood association that limited the space to a restaurant that is "a sandwich bar-style restaurant whose primary business is to sell 'made-to-order' or 'subway-style' sandwiches," the AP reported. And Quintana's taco spot, to the association, didn't fit the bill. He asked for the agreement to be amended to include his made-to-order tacos, burritos, and "Mexican-style food items," which they denied. So, in 2022, Quintana sued the Fort Wayne Plan Commission, and the court finally ruled in his favor last week.

Crispy Pork Belly Tacos with Pico de Gallo Interestingly, Judge Bobay added that the plan commission was in the right to deny an amendment, but the request was never needed in the first place, as tacos are sandwiches anyway, the Journal Gazette reported.

"The Court agrees with Quintana that tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches, and the original Written Commitment does not restrict potential restaurants to only American cuisine-style sandwiches," the ruling read.

"I'm glad this thing is over. We are happy. When you have a decision like this the only thing you can be is happy. We're excited," Quintana told the AP about the ruling.

The Best Wines to Pair with Fish Tacos The original agreement, the Gazette added, already permitted restaurants that served "made-to-order Greek gyros, Indian naan wraps, or Vietnamese banh mi" if they complied with the other conditions in the agreement, so we can safely assume those were considered sandwiches, too.

So, what else is a sandwich? Well, even we wouldn't dare to draw a boundary. After all, Padma Lakshmi and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg both said hot dogs are sandwiches, and who would argue with them? So, really, a sandwich is as limitless as your imagination.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Indiana
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1 posted on 05/22/2024 10:19:52 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

The illegals will love it


2 posted on 05/22/2024 10:23:03 AM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: nickcarraway

La senorita should vamanos to la cocina and make me a taco.


3 posted on 05/22/2024 10:24:55 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (It's not "Quiet Quitting" -- it's "Going Galt".)
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To: nickcarraway

A taco is a taco and a sandwich is a sandwich. Didn’t need no Havaaaad law degree to deduce that.


4 posted on 05/22/2024 10:25:23 AM PDT by chuckb87
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To: nickcarraway

If a male can call himself “she” or “her”, I can call a taco a sandwich!


5 posted on 05/22/2024 10:28:24 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH!)
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To: nickcarraway

The regulation itself was stupid, unnecessary, restrictive, exclusive and likely meant and designed to protect some incumbant businesses. ALL small local businesses are good to the general local business environment because of the “foot traffic” the bring to the area.


6 posted on 05/22/2024 10:30:25 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: chuckb87; nickcarraway

“A taco is a taco and a sandwich is a sandwich.”

I sometimes take one slice of bread, put some peanut butter and jam on it, and then fold it over to eat it.

Is that a sandwich or a taco?


7 posted on 05/22/2024 10:31:17 AM PDT by MeganC (Ruzzians aren't people. )
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To: nickcarraway

Declaring a taco is a sandwich is much easier to accept than claiming that a man is a woman or vice versa.


8 posted on 05/22/2024 10:31:30 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Delusional people should not be allowed to rule over normal people.)
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To: nickcarraway

I grew up in SoCal in the 50s. Family would take occasional trips to TJ. My dad told me that tacos were like Mexican hot dogs.


9 posted on 05/22/2024 10:32:59 AM PDT by hanamizu ( )
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To: ClearCase_guy

"Fulfill all your wishes with my taco-flavored kisses."

10 posted on 05/22/2024 10:34:33 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: nickcarraway

It is like the differentiation of foods to determine whether they can be purchased with food stamps or not. It gets fuzzy, but to some people it is deadly serious.


11 posted on 05/22/2024 10:34:49 AM PDT by gloryblaze
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To: nickcarraway

12 posted on 05/22/2024 10:35:38 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: nickcarraway

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, would be surprised that his “invention” has been debated since the “Dawn of Time”.

Maybe he should be Conde Sandwicho . . . a little Spanish lingo there.


13 posted on 05/22/2024 10:36:17 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana
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To: nickcarraway
And in, I think, New Jersey, they ruled that a taco was not a sandwich.

In both cases the end result is that the people suing won and got to open their business.

14 posted on 05/22/2024 10:36:28 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Roses are red, Violets are blue, I love being on the government watch list, along with all of you.)
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To: Dr. Sivana
Actually people have been eating food wrapped in other food since we started cooking.

Which leads to the question. Is a lettuce wrap a sandwich?

15 posted on 05/22/2024 10:39:06 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Roses are red, Violets are blue, I love being on the government watch list, along with all of you.)
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To: nickcarraway

To take it a step further an Oreo can be considered a sandwich, 2 floured items with substance between them.


16 posted on 05/22/2024 10:39:08 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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To: chuckb87

I concur. Sandwiches involve bread. There is no bread in tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Peanut butter or any other filling between two crackers does not a sandwich make either.


17 posted on 05/22/2024 10:39:54 AM PDT by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: nickcarraway

Ignorant clods. The correct wrd is submarine sandwich.

By erring in the adjective, they made it all meritless


18 posted on 05/22/2024 10:40:44 AM PDT by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Hamascide is required in totality)
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To: nickcarraway

Petty bureaucrats are vicious shyts who are jealous of success. Like crabs in bucket they will pull everyone down with them.


19 posted on 05/22/2024 10:40:47 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

They are called sandwich cookies.


20 posted on 05/22/2024 10:41:09 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Roses are red, Violets are blue, I love being on the government watch list, along with all of you.)
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