It began with an April Fool’s Day joke.
For 24 hours this year, L.A. TACO became IE TACO. Alongside our mock announcement, we also published a not-an-April=Fool's-joke guide to what we refer to as the “Inner IE:” tackling the best eats in the cities from Montclair to Redlands accessible via the 10 freeway (plus Pomona and Claremont, as a bonus on your way out of L.A.).
Since then, we’ve been asked many times if the guide was one-and-done, and if our excursion into the Inland Empire was officially over. We are happy to say that was only the beginning.
Thanks to the CIELO Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF), L.A. TACO will officially launch the IE TACO as part of our coverage.
The funding for IE TACO comes from the IECF’s CIELO Fund, short for "Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity."
Through this fund, we’ll regularly publish stories about community leaders, change-makers, local food, culture, small businesses, arts, history, under-reported stories, and emerging issues in the region.
"The Inland Empire has no shortage of stories worth telling," said Jesse Melgar, Board Chair of the Inland Empire Community Foundation and Founder and Chair of the CIELO Fund. "From neighborhood taquerias, pupuserias, small businesses owners and artists, to organizers and local changemakers, our region is rich with culture, resilience, and creativity. Through our partnership with LA TACO, we're launching I.E. TACO to shine a light on the people, places and pride that make the Inland Empire an increasingly significant part of California's identity."
