The colorful and historic Roberto’s Taco Shop in San Diego County’s National City.

A popular taco shop with more than 80 locations across California, Nevada and Texas is in some hot water over its CEO’s supposed political views — and customers on social media are calling for a boycott.

A TikTok user with the handle @harrie385, whose bio states that she exposes “Latino MAGA businesses,” posted a video this week alleging that Roberto’s Taco Shop CEO Reynaldo Robledo holds pro-Donald Trump and pro-MAGA views, pointing to posts made by an account in Robledo’s name on social media sites including Facebook. Roberto’s Taco Shop is especially popular in San Diego, where Robledo’s parents opened the first location in 1964 after operating a tortilla factory; the shop is among those often credited with inventing the California burrito. The chain also has a strong presence in Las Vegas, with dozens of franchise locations there and farther north in Reno.

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The TikTok post garnered more than 76,000 views and more than 500 comments, and it may have led to a Facebook page in Robledo’s name being scrubbed of all posts.

“Did this CEO forget that all of his restaurants are based on Mexican dishes, who wouldn’t have made it here without the immigrants that are currently being affected by the current administration that you are supporting?” the March 8 video asks.

A Facebook group called A Strong Nevada also shared a post Thursday that called for a boycott, saying, “Did you know that Reynaldo Robledo, the CEO of Roberto's Taco Shop is a huge MAGA supporter and supports ICE! Looks like you won't be getting our business anymore!”

A California burrito with french fries from Roberto’s Taco Shop in San Diego County’s National City.

A transcript of a meeting between Robledo and Trump at a 2020 Latinos for Trump roundtable seems to further acknowledge the taco shop owner’s political beliefs. “We love the work you’re doing. We love what you’ve done for us,” Robledo says in the conversation, adding that it’s the third time that he and Trump have met.

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The Nevada arm of the company responded to the social media frenzy by issuing an Instagram statement on Thursday that read: “Roberto’s Taco Shop is proud to be a Latino-owned and operated franchise that serves diverse communities across Nevada. While our CEO may hold personal political beliefs, it is important to note that each of our 49 franchisees operate their stores independently. 

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“The day-to-day operations and livelihoods of our 600 team members reflect the hard work, values, and cultural heritage of families, many of whom are Latino immigrants, who are dedicated to serving their local communities.”

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SFGATE reached out to Roberto’s Taco Shop for comment but did not hear back before publication.

One Instagram user commented, “We vote everyday with our wallet. I won’t be back until he steps down. Luckily, there are many other fantastic Mexican restaurants in Vegas that honor their roots.”

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