Local taco chain Mission Taco Joint and Mission Foods, a Texas-based tortilla and chip manufacturer, entered a joint settlement after Mission Foods pursued the ºüÀêÊÓƵ business in court over trademark infringement in October.
Gruma, the parent company of Mission Foods, claimed the word “mission†is inherently distinctive and, after 60 years in business, had come to signify Mission Foods products. The company asked the court to bar Mission Taco Joint from using “mission,†“mission taco†and “mission taco joint†and opening new restaurants, including one slated for Town and Country, while the lawsuit was pending.
A notice of the settlement by Gruma was submitted to the Eastern District of Missouri on Friday. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the lawsuit is expected to be dismissed within 60 days.
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Mission Taco Joint opened its first location in ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ Delmar Loop in 2013. The chain expanded with four more locations in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area, two in Kansas City and, most recently, one in Leawood, Kansas. The brand also sold food at Busch Stadium this season and operates a food truck.
Gruma said the company learned of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ chain at the 2023 Tortilla Industry Association meeting in Austin, Texas.