Here’s What an L.A. TACO Membership Gets You and Why You Should Support Local Journalism

If you haven’t heard, L.A. TACO is in the midst of a last-ditch membership drive to save our publication. Here’s what $5.99 monthly will get you when you sign up for an L.A. TACO membership and why you should support us.

What does a membership get you?

For $5.99 per month, you get access to our events, including TACO MADNESS (AKA the best taco festival in the world), member tastings, 4/20 events, and more.

Every day of the month, you can get a FREE taco from Mariscos Jalisco, a free aguas fresca from Sonoratown, $3 off every single beer you guzzle down at Boomtown Brewery in DTLA, a plate of free tacos from Balam, and dozens of other perks at restaurants and dispensaries (including 30 percent off at the Artist Tree!).

If you pay a little more per month or get a yearly membership, you get everything above, plus we’ll also send you some free merchandise!

On our website, all members can access our lists, guides, and investigative reports, which you can only find on L.A. TACO, without hitting a paywall. Additionally, we send out a weekly member-only newsletter highlighting our favorite new restaurants and popups.

Here is our full page of member benefits.

How do I sign up?

You can sign up for a yearly or monthly membership HERE. If you have any problems signing up or issues using the L.A. TACO app, please send an email to info@LATACO.com, and we will get back to you ASAP. 

How’s the drive going?

To reach sustainability, we need 5,000 monthly members. As of Wednesday morning, we’re currently getting real close to 2,900 members. We got off to a great start, but we still need thousands of members to make payroll in two weeks. Please help us reach our goal!

What if I can’t afford a membership? How can I support you?

We recognize times are tough. If you can’t afford a yearly membership or don’t feel comfortable signing up but still want to give us money, you can make a one-time donation. You can also find our hoodies, hats, and t-shirts in our online store. (We recently restocked and released a new tote bag). Or you can share our posts on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok or create a video testimonial on your own (please just remember to collaborate with us when you post it on Instagram).

Why is it essential to support L.A. TACO?

Independent journalism in Los Angeles—a region of more than 10 million people—has dried up in recent years. Since transitioning into a daily news publication in 2018, we’ve watched many of our peers go out of business. That’s a bad sign for Los Angeles. A lack of local journalism can lead to higher taxes, diminished local pride, increased government overspending and lower voter turnout during elections, according to research.

With the rise in AI, Google’s outright refusal to pay newsrooms fairly, and a significant dip in sponsorship and ad revenue, the best way for L.A. TACO to reach sustainability is through our membership program.

As Gustavo Arellano wrote in his latest column for the L.A. Times, “What’s going on in Southern California journalism is sadly familiar—yet not hopeless. There is something new with this generation of journalism orphans. In the past, we downed shots and mourned as our publications died. Now, to paraphrase another literary luminary, Dylan Thomas, reporters are not going gentle into that good night.”