A Deal a Day Makes The Students Stay: The Rising Success of Roadside Taco

As Fall begins, new business ventures emerge, and perched at the corner of 29th Street, boldly striped forest green and white, and sprinkled with rainbow chairs, stands Mexican restaurant Roadside Taco.

'Roadside Taco' is painted on the side wall of the restaurant, next to an accessible ramp. in Los Angeles, California on Monday, Sept. 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

The new food joint has attracted many students, specifically dealing with a roulette of specials, which offer students tantalizing food options and affordable drinks to choose from every day of the week.

Three Margaritas, two Lime,and the other Peach and Mint at Roadside Taco on Monday, Sept 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

Beginning with $5 Margaritas on Mondays, which students gravitate towards the most. Charlie Rumriol, a senior at USC, said he comes to Roadside Tacos “at least every Monday”. Amila Kapetanovic, also a senior at USC and Charlie's friend, dined with him and another friend’s family on Monday 23rd Sept. ahead of USC’s Parents Weekend. Amila believes the deals are 'wonderful' and without failure, the pair often come together on Monday’s to celebrate, no matter what occasion.

If that does not persuade anyone, then allow Taco Tuesday, 'White Claw Wednesdays’, Thirsty Thursdays (a 6 beers for $24 bucket deal) and lastly, ‘Sangria Sundays’ to tell the rest of the story.

Four posters with each deal for each day at Roadside Taco on Monday, Sept 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

Adriel Dunwoody, an employee at Roadside Taco, said “the deals have been effective because people come specifically asking for it”. As well as Margarita Monday, Dunwoody also confirmed that Saturday is one of their busiest days to which he simply uttered two words: USC Football. Although Roadside Taco has no deals on Saturdays, USC football fans flock to the establishment, bringing in a lot of revenue and popularity. In fact, Amila recently watched USC v Michigan there.

Two female students, Kennedy Coats and Aneesa Monet, mid conversation as they sat on the outer deck of Roadside Taco on Monday, Sept 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

One cannot deny the Mexican restaurant’s success, but it is difficult to ignore what stood before it. Study Hall, which first opened September 24th 2014, closed down this summer and surprised many students when Roadside Tacos suddenly appeared out of thin air. Contrarily, some students hardly paid attention to its removal. In fact, Charlie forgot Study Hall existed. But he believes the change is positive. “I was never here, now I’m here a lot”. Similarly, Amila noted that she didn’t have an opinion because “[she] didn’t go to Study Hall” and “never had the urge to go there to be honest”.

A carne asada taco served with fries at Roadside Taco on Monday, Sept 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

It will be exactly ten years since Study Hall opened, but its absence seems unnoticeable. Roadside Tacos is becoming more known, but given the fate of its predecessor, how long will it last?

USC is boastfully disloyal, displacing establishments like Stout and Honeybird which were all once located in the Village. This fickle attitude has trickled down the student body, with Amila admitting that “ten years and getting phased out isn’t that long [in general]”. With a grin on his face, Charlie quickly added that “Roadside Tacos will be here for at least eleven years”.

Two blue cocktail umbrellas, enjoy a dip in a pot of ketchup at Roadside Taco on Monday, Sept 23rd, 2024. (Tare Ebimami/Photo)

Whether or not students would agree with Charlie is up for debate. Nevertheless, Roadside Taco has stamped its mark already. Temporary or not, they have begun a new era of dining at USC by connecting with their audience, building student body trust greater than the grandeur of the institution itself.