General Mills brand Old El Paso has opened the Old El Paso Taco Shop in the LeBron James House 330, a non-profit that helps deliver resources to families in need.
The pop-up is part of a collaboration with the LeBron James Family Foundation that Old El Paso has forged as part of its mission to “redefine communities and build stronger families.”
“Old El Paso and the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) first came together to encourage more conversations at the dinner table. The partnership quickly expanded with weekly Taco Tuesday fun and conversation for kids and families living in the I PROMISE Village,” said Maria Jaramillo, General Mills Business Unit Director for Old El Paso. “Now, the tradition of Tacos and conversation will live on in a more permanent way with the new Taco Shop by Old El Paso coming to House Three Thirty. In addition to serving meals, the fast casual dining establishment provides needed space for family-led programming and hands-on job training for family members in the I PROMISE program.”
Old El Paso wanted to reach locals in Akron, Ohio, where the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I PROMISE program has such a large presence, in addition to people around the country.
“Our goal of this partnership is to bring families together over good food to encourage them to prioritize time with loved ones, while also providing a needed space for family-led programming and hands-on job training,” explained Jaramillo. “We hope the introduction of The Taco Shop by Old El Paso gave people nationwide a glimpse into what’s to come from the partnership with LJFF in the Akron community.”
“With Old El Paso, LJFF has a partner in the food industry that shares their same values and goals to serve the community,” she continued. “From there, the vision of creating conversations around the dinner table and The Taco Shop by Old El Paso quickly came to life.”
The brand wanted to kick off this partnership around the 2.22.22 Taco Tuesday to embrace the social media phenomenon of the day.
“We saw an opportunity to create the ultimate Taco 2.22.22uesday celebration, given the incredible occurrence wouldn’t happen again for another 2,000 years,” explained Jaramillo. “It was the perfect moment to invite I PROMISE families into the Taco Shop by Old El Paso for an intimate gathering to enjoy each other’s company and experience all that the restaurant has to offer (on a Taco Tuesday). The restaurant will formally open next year, but until then, we’ll continue to host special events in the space for I PROMISE families and students at the nearby I PROMISE school.”
