Taco restaurants, or taquerías, generate an estimated 50 billion pesos (US $2.46 billion) annually, according to the newspaper El Economista, which reported the figure on the International Day of the Taco on Monday.
In Mexico City, the average resident has a taquería within an estimated 400 meters of their home or workplace. The industry employs over 30,000 people in the capital, representing 57% of informal food sector jobs in the city, according to El Economista.
The origin of the taco remains unclear, with various historical accounts. Maize has been domesticated in Mexico for at least 9,000 years, and one of the first uses of ground maize was very likely the tortilla.
The word “taco” may derive from the Spanish word for dowel, referring to a plug to fill a hungry stomach, or from the Nahuatl word tlacoyo.
Whatever the origin, the taco has become an international powerhouse. In 2024, Remitly, a money-transfer platform, assessed the number of posts shared on TikTok to determine the most popular street foods around the globe, and tacos came out on top with 1.8 million posts.
Food apps boost the taco economy
Food ordering apps, such as Uber Eats and China’s DiDi Food, sold over 64 million tacos in 2024, according to El Economista.
Last year, Uber Eats reported orders of more than 24 million tacos, with over 8 million placed in Mexico City alone. Meanwhile, DiDi Food reported orders of over 40 million tacos nationwide, marking a 27% increase from the previous year.
In addition to popular meat tacos, such as tacos al pastor, vegan options have risen in popularity.
The top taco orders on DiDi Food in 2024 were:
- pastor (7.5 million)
- barbacoa (3.5 million)
- dorados (3 million)
- steak (2 million)
- birría (2 million)
Potato tacos were the most popular vegan option.
DiDi Food works with more than 23,400 restaurants offering tacos, and over 100,000 taco options are available for under MX$80 ($4).
International Day of the Taco
March 31 is celebrated as the International Day of the Taco — a tradition that began in 2007 when the Mexican media group Televisa launched an advertising campaign promoting the day with the slogan “Because everyone likes tacos.”
The idea soon gained popularity, and now many taco restaurants around the globe hold special promotions or events on March 31.
In Cancún, at least 20 taco shops collaborated on Monday to celebrate the iconic Mexican dish. Taquerías drew hundreds of visitors and gave away approximately 5,000 tacos throughout the day.
Taco Chilango Festival
Mexico City will host Chilango Magazine’s third annual Taco Chilango festival on April 5 at the Monument to the Revolution from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The event will feature 70 of the top taquerías in the city to showcase their tacos, including tacos de pastor, suadero, carnitas and barbacoa, cochinita pibil tacos and more.
Admission is free, and the event will include live music, special shows and contests.
During last year’s second edition of the Taco Chilango festival, Mexico City broke its own Guinness world record for the most tacos served in an hour, at 8,450 tacos.
With reports from El Economista, Quadratin Quintana Roo, El Sol de Zacatecas and TimeOut
