Would You Get a Tattoo for a Lifetime Supply of Tacos?

There are many reasons why people decide to get inked up; love, breakups, art, lifestyle; however, in exchange for tacos is an unusual one…this might just be the best marketing stunt ever!

Twenty-two years ago, Casa Sanchez in San Francisco started a new trend almost by accident. SFGATE got to talk to Greg Tietz, one of the first customers who decided to partake. Greg, then 35, had only been in San Francisco for a couple of years and was looking to solidify his roots in his new neighborhood when a Mexican restaurant’s promotion caught his attention.

“Get a tattoo, get free Mexican food for life.” Martha Sanchez, the genius who came up with that bold idea, never thought she would have so many people walking around with the logo of Casa Sanchez. Including Greg, who wanted his first tattoo to be something special, and something about the Casa Sanchez tattoo just stuck for him. The logo, a young boy riding a corn on the cob rocket ship hybrid lovingly named “Jimmy the Cornman,” was great. And lucky for him, so was the food.

Martha’s sister wasn’t on board with the tats-for-tacos deal, taking the sign off the window whenever Martha would put it up. But Martha reportedly persisted, reprinting the sign until her sister finally relented.

What happened next: They went viral the old-fashioned way. It made the rounds both in local and national media. So – the question remains – would you get a tat for tacos?

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