Advertisement for Austin’s Big 4 Restaurants

Duration: 0:01:27

Year Published: c. 1960s

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: An advertising truck for the Big 4 Restaurants is filmed driving through the streets of Austin. The eateries being promoted are El Charro (at 10th and Red River), El Matamoros (504 E. Ave.), and El Toro (1601 Guadalupe). All-you-can-eat Mexican food for $1.25! The fourth restaurant for which no advertisement is shown was Monroe's.The Big 4 Restaurants were owned by Monroe Lopez, Austin’s first Mexican millionaire. Lopez is credited with bringing many restaurant firsts to Austin, including: air-conditioned restaurants, takeout and delivery services, the all-you-can-eat Tex-Mex dinner, and the crispy taco. In addition to his thriving restaurant businesses, Lopez owned Austin radio station KAZZ, which Billboard Magazine credits as the first station in the United States to regularly program rock and roll music.