By F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register
“No Love, No Tacos” is now the official, trademarked slogan of a beloved Mexican restaurant in Marshalltown.
La Carreta Mexican Grill owner Alfonso Medina shared on the restaurant Facebook page an image of a patent certificate from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Medina said in an email he wanted to protect the motto that first went viral in 2020 and has since remained a strong, pointed message on community and inclusion.
“These four words started here, and they belong to the people who helped make La Carreta what it is today,” the social media post read. “We also want to say thank you to everyone who follows us nationwide and to those who have taken No Love, No Tacos beyond our walls — across state lines and even outside of the United States when traveling. Seeing that never gets old.”
La Carreta Mexican Grill at 308 Iowa Ave. E. has been a part of Medina’s family for more than two decades.
Like most family businesses, Medina was used to helping around the restaurant. At 10 years old, he was in the kitchen with an apron on helping wash dishes.
His father first opened the restaurant in 2000 before closing in 2014. Medina reopened the restaurant four years later.
During the 2020 Iowa Caucus, La Carreta became a popular site for presidential candidates seeking to engage with Iowa’s Latino community.
In 2020, Medina said he received comments from customers who took offense to a sign on his restaurant lawn promoting social justice and equality. In a letter Medina shared with the Des Moines Register, a customer called a “We Believe” yard sign advocating for women’s rights, racial justice and immigration “a piece of garbage” and “politically correct propaganda.”
That customer vowed to take business elsewhere.
Medina responded to the backlash online off the cuff with “no love, no tacos.” The catchphrase quickly caught on. It already appears on La Carreta merch, including T-shirts, hoodies and hats.
Some fans have even gotten tattoos of it, Medina said.
“It’s all about the idea that food is more than just what’s on the plate; it’s made with love and care. If you don’t have love and respect for the people behind the food, then you don’t really deserve the tacos either,” Medina explained in an email.
“It’s a stand against hypocrisy and for treating everyone with dignity,” Medina said. “We live by a simple rule: Treat others how you’d like to be treated.”
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