Go ahead and order another margarita this Taco Tuesday.
The Orange County Transportation Authority kicked off a partnership with Tustin-based chain Wahoo’s Fish Taco, called “Taco Transit Tuesday,” to encourage residents to leave their cars at home at least once a week.
Each Tuesday, diners at Wahoo’s who order a taco can score a second one—current price, about $3—for free if they flash a valid OC Bus, OC Flex or Metrolink pass.
OCTA has been spreading the word through social media and online since landing the deal in April.
It held an event last month at Irvine Spectrum Center to promote its Wahoo’s partnership. The mass transit provider refashioned one of its OCTA buses into the “World’s Biggest Taco Truck” and handed out free fish tacos to the first 300 guests. The agency said that it was able to get the word out to about 500 people at the event.
Vipe Desai, founder and chief executive of Huntington Beach-based sports drink HDX Mix, also got in on the campaign sharing a LinkedIn post saying, “We’re all for clean air and healthy oceans!” as he wrapped up a PSA shoot with Wahoo’s co-founder Wing Lam and skateboarder Christian Hosoi.
OCTA also created its own short spot for Twitter featuring Lam—known for personally piloting Wahoo’s own food truck at charity events—asking how excited he was about the partnership. His response?
“You guys got to come down,” he said. “You’re never going to get free tacos from us again.”
Wahoo’s is ranked No. 23 on the Business Journal’s restaurant list with $64 million in revenue and 1,500 workers companywide. Lam founded the chain in 1988 with his brothers Ed and Mingo Lee. The company has nearly 20 locations in OC.
