In the fall of 2022, Martin Quintana tried to open a taco restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But his request was denied. City laws stated that sandwich shops were the only restaurants that could open in his area. Local officials didn’t think that a place that sells tacos counts as a sandwich shop.
Last May, a judge ruled that tacos and burritos are “Mexican-style sandwiches.” That decision allowed Quintana to continue making plans to open his taco shop.
It also sparked a debate online. Many people don’t think tacos are sandwiches. They argue that tacos are a unique part of Mexican culture and belong in their own category. After all, they say, a taco is made with a corn or flour tortilla, unlike a sandwich, which is made with bread.
But The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a tortilla as a kind of flatbread. By this definition, a taco is similar to a sandwich that’s on one piece of bread, such as a sub.