Man in Indiana Wins to Open Taco Restaurant

May 16th, 2024

In Fort Wayne, Indiana, there is a man named Martin Quintana. He is 53 years old. Martin is from Mexico. He moved to the United States in 1988. First, he worked on a farm in California. Then, he started to work in restaurants. He has lived in Fort Wayne since 2001. Martin has one restaurant in Fort Wayne. He wants to open another one. Martin had trouble opening his new restaurant. It is called The Famous Taco. He wanted to put it in a place he owns. But there was a rule. The rule said only sandwich bars can open there. Martin's restaurant is not a sandwich bar. It makes tacos and burritos. These are Mexican foods. There was a big problem. Martin talked to some people. They said his restaurant was not right for the place. Martin went to court. He wanted to change the rule. In December 2022, the court said no. But then, something good happened. A judge said tacos and burritos are like Mexican sandwiches. So, Martin can open his restaurant. Martin is very happy. He says soon, in two or three months, people can eat at The Famous Taco. They can pick what they want on their tacos, burritos, and tortas. Martin says a torta is like a sandwich too. He is excited to start.

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💭 Discussion Questions

. Where is Martin Quintana from?

. What kind of food does Martin's restaurant serve?

. What good news did the judge give Martin?

📖 Vocabulary

🌐 Cultural context

Fort Wayne is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana. People from different countries, like Martin from Mexico, move to the U.S. for work. In the U.S., there are laws about businesses that can make opening a restaurant complicated. Tacos and burritos are popular Mexican foods in America.

🧠 Further reading

Zoning in the United States

There are rules about what can be built on land. Different areas have different rules. Long ago, two cities made these rules first. Sometimes these rules were not fair because they stopped certain people from living in some areas. This was not right. People say that many cities like houses that stand alone. Not tall buildings with many homes. There are not enough homes for everyone because of these rules. This makes homes cost a lot of money. Some people think these rules are not good because they separate people and hurt the planet. These rules can make it hard for people of different colors to live together. Rich people who have their own homes sometimes want these rules to stay. But other people want the rules to change so more people can have homes.

Cultural assimilation

When people from different places or groups live together, they sometimes start to be more like each other. This can happen when a smaller group changes to be more like the bigger group in that place. They might start to talk the same way, dress the same way, or do the same things. There are different ways this can happen. Sometimes everyone in the smaller group changes to be like the bigger group. Sometimes they have to change because of rules from the people in charge. When groups change, they can do it in different ways. Some groups change everything about themselves. Other groups keep some of their own ways but also learn new things from the bigger group. They mix their old ways with new ways. Changing can happen fast or slowly over time. People can choose to change or they might change without wanting to. Sometimes when people change, they add new things to what they already know instead of changing completely.

The Fat Cow

The Fat Cow was a place to eat in Los Angeles. It started in 2012 and closed in 2014. A famous cook, Gordon Ramsay, and his friend Rowen made the place. People could go there to eat good food and feel happy. Gordon Ramsay is from Scotland. He had plans to make a place to eat with steak and other foods. The Fat Cow was opened with his friend Rowen's help. A chef named Mathew cooked the food, and Andi helped to start the place. The Fat Cow was a nice place with big tables. It was made with old wood and metal. But after one year, Gordon had to pay money for the work done there. Then, the workers said they did not get enough money or rest. The Fat Cow had to close because another place said the name was theirs. The place closed in 2014, and after that, there was a big problem about the name.