Threats Cancel Lion Taco Plans
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:30
Boca, a taco shop on Speedway Boulevard, planned to serve African lion tacos on Feb. 16 as part of their “Exotic Taco Wednesday,” but has called off the promotion after receiving threats.
Owner Bryan Mazon said that people have threatened him with everything from death to burning down his house. One caller even claimed that they would "eat his baby" if he went through with serving lion meat.
In an announcement on Boca’s Facebook page, Mazon wrote, “Due to concern for safety of our families, customers, vendors, and friends we will not be selling African Lion Tacos on Feb. 16th, 2011. We will continue to bring unique and creative menu items, but not at the expense of safety.”
Mazon doesn’t have a replacement for the lion meat in mind yet, although he plans to choose something that won’t cause such an upheaval.
“We might do crickets because we’re being watched,” Mazon joked.
The initial announcement of $8.75 preorders for the lion tacos sparked protests on Boca’s Facebook page as well as their answering machine. Some animal rights supporters threatened boycotts of the restaurant, while others hurled insults at Mazon as well as his family and employees.
Mazon said that he expected a little bit of slack from the decision, but not stories and criticism from around the world. The promotion was a way to reach out to locals and Boca’s existing fanbase, Mazon said, and got “blown way out of proportion.”
Many of those who commented focused on the mistaken belief that lions are an endangered species. Mazon said he planned to buy the lion meat from a farm in California where they are legally raised for food.
Other meats used by Boca in the past for Exotic Taco Wednesday include alligator, elk, rabbit, snake, Rocky Mountain oysters and duck, according to Mazon.
Part of the motivation for showcasing exotic meats is to show Tucson diners that there is more to Mexican food than Taco Bell or the standard carne asada street cart tacos they may be used to, Mazon said.
Bryan Mazon’s wife, Chef Maria Mazon, was born in Navojoa, Sonora and has a love for unique dishes and cooking, and doing exotic meats once a week as well as including dishes like octopus tacos on the regular menu are her ways of sharing that, he said.
Although lots of interested people have come in to the restaurant after first hearing about the lion taco idea, Mazon said that overall business over the past week has been about the same as usual.
Written by Matt Osteen You are reading Threats Cancel Lion Taco Plans articles
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