ST. LOUIS — Local restaurant chain Mission Taco Joint announced on Monday a new name — Session Taco — after an almost yearlong trademark fight with a national tortilla manufacturer.
The name change was part of the settlement struck in November with Texas-based Mission Foods. Mission Foods’ trademark was “pretty rock solid,” and fighting it would have probably ended the chain, said Mission Taco co-owner Adam Tilford.
But now Tilford, who owns Mission Taco with his brother, sees an opportunity to refresh the menu and brand, he said.
“We’re putting a lot into new operations,” he said.
Mission Taco Joint opened its first location in 2013 in St. Louis’ Delmar Loop, before the region had many casual taco-focused chains.
Now, the company has eight shops, largely in suburban Kansas City and St. Louis, including its newest, which just opened in April in Town and Country. It also sells food at Busch Stadium and operates a food truck.
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But the area no longer has a shortage of taco brands. Taco Buddha, which opened its first location in 2017, recently announced its plans for national expansion. Seoul Taco, a Korean-Mexican concept, now has 10 locations. Fast-casual chain Tacos 4 Life is expanding its footprint in the St. Louis region. And Taco John, a national brand, said it has plans to enter the St. Louis market.
Then, last fall, tortilla and chip maker Mission Foods sued Mission Taco Joint for trademark infringement over the use of the word “mission.” The company said it learned of the restaurant chain at the 2023 Tortilla Industry Association meeting in Austin, Texas.
Mission Foods claimed the word was inherently distinctive and, after 60 years in business, had come to signify the company’s product, so Mission Taco Joint’s use of the word was deceptive.
The lawsuit came as a blow, with the small business facing a giant: Gruma Corp., Mission Foods’ $6.5 billion parent company, Tilford said.
In November, attorneys filed notice of a settlement in the suit but didn’t reveal any details.
The name change, which drops just the letters “M” and “I” from the word “mission,” was intentional, Tilford said.
Plus, cutting the word “joint” was a move the brothers had wanted, so they are using this opportunity to make the change.
The new moniker comes from the brothers’ roots in Southern California, Tilford said. He said “session” can be used to describe fun moments, like a “skate sesh” or “jam sesh,” so the name Session Taco hit home.
“People can come in and have a taco sesh or margarita sesh,” he said.
Tilford said he is most excited to reinvigorate the brand with the name and menu change. He said Mission Taco Joint has struggled as a brand and that service and quality has slipped as a result of labor shortages.
Experts said Monday that the rebranding could cost the restaurant customers.
Things like fonts, colors and logos are learned associations consumers develop with a brand, said Courtney Cothren, an associate teaching professor in the marketing department at the University of Missouri.
If the Hershey Co. releases a new Reese’s product but it’s covered in the familiar orange and yellow brand colors, consumers are more trusting and willing to try it, she said.
“To completely change the name gets rid of all those learned associations,” Cothren said. “Rebranding can be hard.”
She pointed to soda brand Sierra Mist, which rebranded to Starry — a move that left consumers confused.
“Everyone thought it was a different product,” Cothren said.
However, because Mission Taco Joint is changing its menu, its colors and its logo, this could be a good opportunity for the taco chain to take risks, she said.
“If they have really loyal customers, it could work,” Cothren said. “Customers love authenticity. They could retain and gain customers.”
Session Taco’s new menu launched at the Kansas City-area locations this week and will come to St. Louis next week.
New lighter, coastal dishes, such as blue crab taquitos, grilled mahi-mahi tacos, vegan chorizo tacos, fish and chips, and churro cheesecake empanadas, will also be added to the menu.
Some current items, like the MJT tortas, will no longer be available. A drink menu is still in the works.
The brand will also have a new visual identity, with softer versions of its current orange and blue brand colors. Menus, merchandise, glassware and signage will be changed by the end of the year.
Tilford said information about the lawsuit will be at restaurant tables so diners can better understand the rebrand.
His brother, co-owner Jason Tilford, called the change an “evolution.”
“Session Taco will be a new chapter for us, so it’s an opportunity to add some new energy to the menu, as well as our team,” he said in a news release.
The changeover to Session Taco will be complete by the end of the year, they said.