Taco Bill is an Australian restaurant chain serving traditional

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cuisines and associated traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican Cuisine, Mesoamerican cuisine. Mexican cuisine's ingredients and methods arise from the area's first agr ...

. It is the longest founded Mexican franchise in Australia.

History

The restaurant was established in 1967 by Bill Chilcote (16 October 1925 - 11 December 2011) who was married to a Mexican woman from a family who was in the business themselves, owning several

cantina A cantina is a type of Bar (establishment), bar common in Latin America and Spain. The word is similar in etymology to "canteen (place), canteen", and is derived from the Italian language, Italian word for a Wine cellar, cellar, winery, or Vault ...

s. He came to Australia from the border of Mexico and California and decided to introduce Mexican food to Australia. The first Taco Bill outlet was opened on the Gold Coast and provided take-away food. Other outlets were opened firstly in

Bondi, Sydney Bondi () is a suburb of eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, seven kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council. Geography Bondi is a mostly medium and high-d ...

and next in Armadale, Melbourne. Currently it has 27 stores in Victoria. Club Taco has over 70.000 active members. A legal dispute with

Taco Bell Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...

over the American fast-food chain's planned Australian expansion was resolved in February 2020.

Management

Taco Bill is managed by Tom Kartel, an Iranian native, who arrived in Australia in 1987. He started work as a kitchen hand at Taco Bill's South Melbourne outlet and opened his own restaurant in Springvale in 1994 and secured another two outlets in Clifton Hill and

Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...

over the next four years. Tom bought a 50 percent share of Taco Bill from its owner Stan Teschke in 2002. He received a master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from

Swinburne University The Swinburne University of Technology (or simply Swinburne) is a public research university in Melbourne, Australia. It is the modern descendant of the Eastern Suburbs Technical College established in 1908, renamed Swinburne Technical College ...

Food and drink

Taco Bill offers a wide range of traditional Mexican food including

tacos A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of filli ...

nachos Nachos are a Tex-Mex dish consisting of tortilla chips or '' totopos'' covered with cheese or chile con queso, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats (such as ground beef or grilled chicken), vegetables ( ...

tortillas A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread from Mesoamerica originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indi ...

quesadillas A quesadilla (; ; Mexican diminutive of ''quesada'') is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked on a griddle or stove. Traditionally, a cor ...

enchiladas An enchilada (, ) is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations. ...

fajitas A fajita (; ), in Tex-Mex cuisine, is strips of any grilled meat, optionally served with strips of peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dis ...

and

burritos A burrito (, ) or burro in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. The term ''burrito'' was regional, specifically from Guanajuato, Guerr ...

. Taco Bill was the first to introduce nachos, tacos, and enchiladas to Australia. It was also the first to introduce the

frozen margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice (on the rock ...

to Australia. The materials are sourced locally from local suppliers (including Aztec Mexican Products and Liquor,

Bidfood BFS Group Limited, trading as Bidfood, is a foodservice wholesaler and distributor based in the United Kingdom. The BFS Group Limited was a wholly owned subsidiary of Bidvest, an international services, trading and distribution company lis ...

, G&T Chickens, Merchant Australia, Marino Bros, and Ixom) and many of the spices are imported directly from Mexico. Taco Bill offers Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan food and provides dietary or allergen options. It bottles its own trademarked

hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa (sauce), salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of Mass production, mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other ho ...

, and has previously sold its own

tequila Tequila (; ) is a liquor, distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Jalisco, Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos (Jal ...

and

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

. A wide range of beverages is offered including the

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

Margarita which is sold with a free

sombrero In English, a , ; ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck, and shoulders of the w ...

Awards

* Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence (2016, 2020) * Lifestyle FOOD Awards (2007, 2009, 2010)

Charity

The Citizen of the Month is held by Taco Bill every month. It also sponsors several local institutions including schools, colleges and clubs. Among them are:

References

External links

* {{Food chains in Australia Restaurants in Melbourne Restaurant franchises Restaurants established in 1967 Restaurant chains in Australia 1967 establishments in Australia Companies based in Melbourne Mexican restaurants in Australia