The original King Taco restaurant in the Cypress Park area of Los Angeles was one step closer Tuesday toward receiving a designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
The Los Angeles City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee unanimously approved the proposal Tuesday, following a recommendation from the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission on Feb. 5.
The restaurant, located at 1118 N. Cypress Ave., is widely recognized as a cornerstone of Los Angeles’ taco truck culture and Latino culinary identity.
According to the commission, King Taco’s founders helped transform the city’s food landscape.
“With the establishment of King Taco, Raul O. and Maria G. Martinez not only created the first taco truck in the United States but also introduced the Mexican-style soft shell taco to the wider public and revolutionized the Latino culinary scene in Los Angeles,” according to the commission.
The couple began by retrofitting an old ice cream truck with cooking equipment in 1974, serving freshly made tacos directly from the vehicle before establishing a permanent site at the corner of Cypress and Roseview avenues.
City officials said the property meets the criteria for historic designation because it “exemplifies significant contributions to the broad cultural, economic or social history of the nation, state, city, or community.”
For more than 50 years, King Taco has grown from a single location into a widely recognized brand, now operating 22 restaurants across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
The proposal will now advance to the full City Council for final consideration.
The designation would also allow the city to temporarily halt demolition of the site for up to a year while preservation options are reviewed.