Congratulations to Lynn Davidson, owner of Tito's Tacos in Los Angeles, for being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the LA chapter of the California Restaurant Association! Davidson was feted at an event on June 10, 2022. (Click here to read a recent article about Tito's Tacos from el Restaurante). Below is the commendation honoring Davidson:
Lynn Davidson, owner of Tito's Tacos, and Selwyn Yosslowitz, co-founder of Marmalade Cafes, who presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to her Davidson. (Photo by Jared Cowan)
Lynne Davidson is the president and co-owner of Tito’s Tacos, an iconic Mexican fast casual restaurant in Los Angeles founded in 1959 by her grandfather Benjamin Davidson and famed for its “folded” hard shell tacos, among other dishes. A third-generation restauranteur, Lynne began working for Tito’s Tacos at the age of 12, wiping tables for 25 cents an hour, and still recalls how her first tip inspired her lifelong dedication to keeping customers happy. She continued to work in the family business throughout school, from stuffing burritos to serving, finally taking over the restaurant in the 1980s. Since then, she has taken what was a tiny taco stand and turned it into one of the city’s most beloved landmark fast casual restaurants, boasting some of the most tenured employees of any restaurant in the city.
Lynne’s community involvement, along with her unwavering commitment to giving back to the community through organizations including the Culver City Arts Foundation, The Arthritis Foundation, The Veterans Administration for Greater Los Angeles, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many more—along with her fierce advocation within the restaurant industry—have earned her respect and recognition from locals, city officials and the restaurant industry itself.
She is a longstanding Board Member of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), a Trustee of the California Restaurant Association Political Action Committee (CRA-PAC & CRA-IPAC), and has held a number of leadership positions in her community, including servin·g on the Policy Advisory Committee of the California Coalition on Workers’ Compensation, Chairman of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce where she received recognition as “Small Business Advocate of the Year” from the California Chamber of Commerce in 1999. In June of 2022, Lynne will receive the prestigious Elizabeth Burns Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Restaurant Association for her many contributions to the industry.
Lynne and her husband Wirt Morton, co-owner of Tito’s Tacos, have been married for 20 years and have a total of 3 children and 5 grandchildren between them. Together they founded the annual Tito’s Fiesta Mexicana with partner Tito’s Handmade Vodka, where they have raised over $50,000 for the Culver City Arts Foundation over the past four years alone.