Duolingo Just Opened a Taqueria to Help You Practice Your Spanish

Tu quieres practicar el español?

This summer, language-learning app Duolingo wants you to put your Spanish skills to the test by visiting its new takeaway taqueria.

The taqueria, called Duo Taqueria, will open next to its Easter Liberty headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and will be helmed by chef Marcella Ogrodnik of Salvadoran pop-up Cafe Agnes. On the menu, diners will find Mexico City-style tacos made with heirloom corn tortillas, topped with their pick of marinated pork, chorizo, brisket, or a vegan-friendly option. Beans, tortilla chips, guacamole, and dessert will round out the menu.

"It was important for us to find a chef that knew Pittsburgh and had a story they wanted to tell with their food," Charlie Barber, a senior experience designer at Duolingo, told Pittsburgh Magazine.

And while the menu itself is worth a visit alone, this isn't your average taco shop. With a bilingual staff, Duo Taqueria encourages diners to practice Spanish outside Duolingo by participating in the Español Challenge—"a single, speech-based question" sourced from the app. Customers who answer correctly will earn a 10-to-20-percent discount off their meal or a free taco or side of chips.

"It's a good way to incentivize someone to get out of their comfort zone and learn a little bit about speaking another language," Ogrodnick added.

While Duo Taqueria will initially start as a takeaway, the goal is to eventually turn it into a fast-casual eatery by 2023.

Don't know any Spanish? The soft opening is slated for June 15—just enough time to download the Duolingo app and learn basic restaurant vocabulary and phrases, like "Hello! I'll have two tacos, please, and thank you."