Utah restaurant operator giving away 10,000 meals to military veterans to say thanks

SALT LAKE CITY — Veterans Day is Wednesday, but Laxman Paudyal doesn't think one day is enough to honor the men and women who serve the country.

Accordingly, Paudyal, the owner of the five Taqueria 27 locations in the Salt Lake City area, is offering free taco meals for all of November to those in the service as a way of thanking them. He served in the U.S. Army, retiring as an E-4 specialist, and while he is currently outside the nation, Biplove Timilsina, a Salt Lake City restaurateur who manages the eateries for Paudyal, said he's eager to do something.

"Why just (celebrate) Veterans Day once a year? We can afford (it), and we have partners that can help us, so why not just serve the people that serve us for the whole month?" Timilsina said.

The initiative started Nov. 1, but with Veterans Day on Wednesday, the effort will be kicking into high gear, potentially costing around $100,000 in all. Some 50 to 70 people a day have taken advantage of the offer at the five locations thus far, and Taqueria 27 operators are prepared to provide 10,000 meals in all.

"They have served the country, and we are a local company, and it's the time we can serve them and say thank you," Timilsina said.

Paudyal is originally from Nepal and came to the United States in 2002, attending Brigham Young University, according to a 2023 press release announcing he had taken over the Taqueria 27 locales. He has run Big Daddy's pizza operations, one of a number of restaurants launched or operated by Timilsina, and previously owned Carlos & Harley's, a Mexican restaurant in Eden.

Taqueria 27 is based on Mexican fare, but "inspired from the global pantry," Timilsina said. "If you look on our menu, it's just not like a beef taco or stuff like that. We have taco with French fries. We have pork belly taco. Then we have duck confit tacos."

Last September, Timilsina, also from Nepal, helped promote a fundraiser to benefit Nepal in the wake of devastating flooding in the nation at Bawarchi Indian Cuisine, a South Jordan restaurant he and his wife own.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the day Veterans Day falls on. It's Wednesday, not Tuesday.

Related topics