Duolingo Is Serving Up Tacos and Spanish Lessons with New Taqueria

published May 13, 2022
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Duolingo's Taqueria
Credit: Duolingo

Food is my favorite form of communication. It can tell a story, express a feeling, or show affection. Food is a language itself, and now Duolingo is using food to encourage people to brush up on their Spanish. 

The language learning app, which allows users to learn a new language through bite-sized lessons, is opening Duo’s Taqueria. The takeout restaurant aims to help guests practice their Spanish while eating Mexico City-inspired street tacos by presenting the option to take on the “Español Challenge” when ordering. Those who answer the speech-based question correctly will receive a discount. Although there isn’t an exact opening date, the taqueria is looking to launch in June and will be located in East Liberty, right next to Duolingo’s Pittsburgh headquarters. 

According to Restaurant Business, Duo’s Taqueria will serve street tacos with fresh in-house nixtamal tortillas, agua frescas, salsas, and side dishes. Chef Marcella Ogrodnik, whose menu “combines inspiration from traditional Mexican techniques with Pennsylvania ingredients,” will run the restaurant.

Duo’s Taqueria isn’t the first time the platform has used food as a gateway to get people to learn a new language. To help launch their Haitian Creole course earlier this year, they partnered with several Haitian restaurants across the country to give away a free month of the app’s premium subscription service to guests who patronized the partner restaurants. 

Duolingo, which has become popular for its gamification approach, has long believed that “learning is easier when you’re having fun.” But for me, learning is even more fun when stuffing my face with tacos. 

If you’re nowhere near Duo’s Taqueria but are craving tacos, you can try ​​this recipe for barbacoa tacos with Mexican pinto beans. It’s delicious, but unfortunately doesn’t include a Duolingo discount. And if you want to step up your tortilla game, pick up this game-changing tool for perfect tortillas