HillsdaleHHR

A pizza company is receiving death threats for accepting Pesos for payment. Locations include Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver. Not that I agree with the death threats, but why would you accept Pesos. None of these locations are that close to the Mexican border. Even if they are illegal and working here, dont they get paid in U.S. currency?!?!

courthousedeb

Here's info from one of our local news stations....and it's not a permanent deal.

Customers of Pizza Patrón, a Texas-based chain of pizzerias geared towards the Latino community, will be able to buy their pies for a limited time with pesos as well as dollars.

Pizza Patrón has a number of locations in Colorado.

"We're trying to reach out to our core customer," said Antonio Swad, the president of Pizza Patrón Inc.

"We know they come back [from Mexico] and have pesos left over. We want to be a convenient place for them to spend their pesos."

The company will accept pesos in bill form through February at each of its 59 locations at a set conversion rate of 12 pesos per dollar, slightly higher than the rate of trading.

The company says the program may be extended, depending upon response and its effect on business.

Swad told the paper he is willing to take the heat from those who might be against the program.

"We know the purity of our intention, and we're willing to take the heat when there is heat," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Critics say the program will help make it easier for immigrants to avoid becoming part of American society.

HillsdaleHHR

Thanks for the info CHD
Pizza chain geared towards Latino community ?

courthousedeb

Haven't you ever had a Mexican pizza? They are quite tasty...plus I'm sure they don't eat just mexican food.

Below is an excerpt from a press release made regarding our local Pizza Patron stores, straight from their website.
http://www.pizzapatron.com/news_detail.cfm?newsID=129

Please do not kill the messenger.

Pizza Patrón features festive and fun carryout-only pizza stores that are community based in Spanish speaking or predominately Hispanic neighborhoods. The menu is value oriented, offering high quality, and freshly prepared pizzas at very low price points. All pizza dough is made fresh throughout the evening; no preservatives are added or needed. The sauce is prepared fresh in the stores, as well, from crushed Roma tomatoes. Only 100% mozzarella is used. Whole and half pizzas are offered at prices as low as $4.99 for a large pizza with cheese and one topping and $3.49 for the same half pizza. A large "La Patrona" pizza with everything is only $6.99.

HillsdaleHHR

Actually, alot of them do eat only mexican food. When I was living in Ft Wayne Indiana they have a large hispanic population. The ones that lived in Mexico then moved here tend to stay with the mexican food. Their children that were born here like the pizza, mcdonalds, etc. It does sound somewhat non-conforming especially since they are a company that caters to this community. Just like now electric bills etc. are printed in both english and spanish.

fastsuv

We have had stores here in the Buffalo, NY area have promotions where Canadian money was not only accepted but accepted at par (which meant that the item was cheaper using Canadian money since Canadian money at the time was worth less than US currency). Many stores here accept Canadian money in addition to US money, so having the same policy at the other border wouldn't be much different.

I'm not taking sides on the issue, just pointing out that it's not without precedent.

Steve

HillsdaleHHR

I can understand maybe near the border but I hardly call Denver border territory and if you think of if that way any city with an airport with overseas flights should do the same. Heck, I've had francs from a trip that I took to France since 1990.

captain howdy

I was just about to say something similar to what Fastsuv said. Even though Fastsuv is closer to the boarder than me there are a lot of places around here that will accept Canadian currency. I've never had a problem getting rid of Canadian money when I get back from Canada. When I go over the boarder into Canada it seems like I have never had a problem finding places that take American money either.

EL_REY

i dont see the big deal with ppl accepting pesos as payment for something...esp when they can then convert it back to Us dollars... only i think i did read somewhere that its only legal to use US tender for any transactions in the USA, so then it woul dmake accepting pesos or any other currency illegal...

hell im all for places accepting pesos, i usually come back with about $8 in pesos when i make a day trip across the border, and it accumulates, so why not get rid of it when im not in mexico?

jwolfe99

With 20 years of Naval service I will put in my .02cents. I was stationed in Scotland for 3 years off and on. Was in Sub Service so every 3 months we would fly over and pick up the Sub then spend 30 days getting her ready to go to sea. The locals treated us like we were family and it did not matter what money you had to pay for something, they would accept it. A note on that is that you did not get any more or any less for the american money, it was factored into the purchase. If you bought an Item for Ten Pounds then you would , at the time, have to fork over $20 bucks American. Your change was handled in the same way, you got back Pounds and Pents but the exchange rate was factored into it. I would think here in the US if we did something like that it would be Ok reguardless on the money we accepted but I am not familiar with the laws , if any , on that.