Man eats at Short Pump taco restaurant 56 straight days

When Rusty Taco opened its Short Pump location Feb. 7, Jeff Saunders was there to try it out. He came back the next day. And the next. And the next. And. . . well, a lot more days, too.

By April 3, Saunders had eaten at the restaurant 56 days in a row.

Saunders, a baseball coach nicknamed “El Queso Jefe” by the staff at the Rusty Taco location, met his goal of eating at the restaurant the same number of days as baseball Hall of Fame Joe DiMaggio’s record hitting streak lasted.

“When I first started coming to Rusty Taco, I was just trying to support a good friend of mine who works with the brand,” he said. “But the food was so good, I decided to keep coming back.”

Saunders’ dedication was driven by more than just a love of tacos and queso – he also wanted to bring awareness and support to Finnegan’s Challenge, a nonprofit that supports children who are born with birth defects, and their families, by generating resources to fund research, education, and awareness.

“We are incredibly honored by Jeff’s commitment, not only to our brand, but to Finnegan’s Challenge,” said Andrew Hyde, marketing director at Rusty Taco. “It has been inspiring to see our Short Pump team, as well as the surrounding community, gather together to support Jeff and his goal.”

Saunders reached his 56-day goal April 3. To celebrate the completion of his streak, Rusty Taco’s Short Pump location will be donating 20% of their sales on Saturday, April 9, to Finnegan’s Challenge.

The restaurant is located at 11525 West Broad Street, in the Short Pump Crossing Shopping Center, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The brand’s corporate team has also made a $560 donation to the non-profit in Saunders’ honor.

Donations to Finnegan’s Challenge may be made at www.finneganschallenge.org/donate.