Tacos 4 Life has grown into an Arkansas sensation. Launched in 2014 in Conway by Ashton and Austin Samuelson, the Tacos 4 Life chain of restaurants just opened its 19th location overall and second in Little Rock.
Tacos 4 Life can be found across Arkansas — Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Conway, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Rogers, Searcy, Springdale and Texarkana. Franchises can also be found in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma.
What distinguishes Tacos 4 Life from other traffickers of tacos, at least according to numerous positive reviews and word of mouth, is its cheese dip (otherwise known beyond our borders as queso). But what really sets Tacos 4 Life apart is its mission. In partnership with the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children, the Samuelsons donate one taco for every taco sold at each location to help feed the hungry in America. They modeled the practice after their previous venture, Pitza 42 in Conway, itself modeled on Toms Shoes, which was launched in 2006 on the premise of donating a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair sold.
To date, more than 18 million meals have been donated through Tacos 4 Life. Austin told Arkansas Money & Politics that he and his wife are excited for the future of the company and have 10 restaurants in the development pipeline, nine of which are franchise locations. Plus, the Samuelsons recently welcomed their fourth child — and fourth boy — to the family.
“Partnering with great operators through franchising will grow our mission and allow us to feed more kids,” Austin said.
