Sept. 21: It’s time to say ‘thanks for the memories’ (and tacos) to Taco Tom at special celebration
If you were one of those kids, or like me, the parent of one of those kids, on Saturday Sept. 21 you will have a chance to say “thanks” to Taco Tom, aka Thomas Sayler, at his current place of employment, the Hilton Garden Inn.
RSVP to the Taco Tom Meet-and-Greet Facebook event here.
MANCHESTER, NH – To know Taco Tom is to love him.
Let me try to explain, for the uninitiated.
Just saying ‘Taco Tom” out loud in certain company is a secret handshake to a chapter in the city’s history, a time when hungry teenagers got their taco fix at the South Willow Taco Bell.
Those were the days when a kid could place an order, pay for a taco or two, and have a moment with the man, the myth, the legend behind the counter, who carefully counted out the change and urged them to have a good day, always with a smile.
If you were one of those kids – or like me, the parent of one of those kids – on Saturday Sept. 21 you will have a chance to say “thanks” to Taco Tom, aka Thomas Sayler, at his current place of employment, the Hilton Garden Inn.
Hotel management has arranged for a special reception for Sayler on Sept. 21 from 4-7 p.m. There will be a taco special on the menu, “The Tom,” and there will be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme to coincide with this weekend’s Granite State Comicon.
But be clear: It’s all about Taco Tom.
This event came about due to one of Sayler’s co-workers at Hilton Garden Inn, Jackson Jackson, who like just about everyone else in the city, had fond but unresolved memories of Taco Tom.
“When I was younger I remember seeing him always so kind with a warm smile treating everyone with kindness. I always felt that when I saw Taco Tom everything was going to be OK,” Jackson said. “He’s been so beloved in Manchester for many years. Then one day he disappeared, and it was wild.”
Jackson said he often wondered where Sayler ended up after Taco Bell – until he recently started a new job at the hotel and was introduced to “Tom, the dishwasher.”
Jackson was overjoyed.
“I was so excited to see him again and immediately knew something had to be done to help others who may had felt the same way, wondering where he was and how he was doing. About a week ago I spoke to the kitchen manager and asked him if we could have some kind of a special night where people could see Tom and thank him for all the years he was the guy behind the counter,” Jackson said.
When asked if that would be OK, “Sayler”Taco Tom” said he would enjoy that. The plan was hatched.
Jackson is doing what he can to get the word out but reached out to me and I want to help, too.
During my son Bill’s high school days at Central there were many times he and his friends would end up at Taco Bell, where they became part of the seemingly infinite circle of members of the Taco Tom Appreciation Society. There were times I would go and get a big bag of tacos for them to share in the van ride home from school – and while they were always happy to have tacos, I didn’t fully realize then that actually going to Taco Bell and seeing Taco Tom, for them, was as much a part of the ritual as eating the food.
I learned a few things in pulling this quick story together. Adam McCune, who used to write a column about the city for the local paper, wrote about Taco Tom back in 2011. It was that column that gave me the information that Taco Tom started working for Taco Bell back in 1994 – which would make this the 30th anniversary of his origin story as a local living legend.
And that conversation with Adam led me to another good friend, Nick Lavallee, of Wicked Joyful, who while perhaps best known as the guy who helped put our city on the map as the Chicken Tender Capital of the World with his enthusiasm for all things Manchester, also created a Taco Tom action figure.
Lavallee intends to show up Saturday and present one of the tribute toys to the man who inspired it.
And Jackson is hoping lots of other people will show up for Taco Tom, too.
“I found out other people working at the Hilton felt the same way I did about Taco Tom, the way he just made everyone feel better just by being there,” Jackson said. “It’s a treat for all of us.”
Just for fun: Check out a couple of Facebook pages dedicated to Taco Tom:
The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 101 South Commercial St. (next to the Fisher Cats Stadium). Festivities begin at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Come hungry. Bring your autograph books and Taco Tom photos for signing!
