Cinco de Mayo 2025, local deals in California in honor of the Mexican holiday

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Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner and will be a great way to eliminate the Monday blues if you take advantage of local holiday deals on or around May 5.

Translated from Spanish to “5th of May,” the holiday is not Mexican Independence Day, which some still get confused about, but is remembered as a key fight for further independence from European intervention.

The holiday has a long history in Mexico that is much different than what is currently celebrated in the U.S.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

The Mexican holiday commemorates a key battle in the Mexican-French War: The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

The battle saw Mexican troops outnumbered by French troops 6,000 to Mexico’s estimated 2,000-5,000 outgunned ranks, according to History.com.

The French-Mexican War started in 1861 when Spain, England, and France sent naval forces to collect on debts the Central American country defaulted on. The government struck a deal with Spain and England, but France did not withdraw, with Napoleon III hoping to establish an imperial foothold in the country, History.com said.

The French sent a larger fleet to Veracruz later that year, forcing then-President Benito Juarez and his forces to flee. The Battle of Puebla happened the next year shifting morale and later leading to a French withdrawal in 1867.

Why is Cinco de Mayo Celebrated in the U.S.?

The holiday is not widely celebrated throughout Mexico, with many celebrations being confined to the state of Puebla, where the battle took place.

In the United States, the holiday gained traction during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, The Palm Beach Post previously reported.

“It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader,” said Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, in an interview with the Post. “They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo.”

The holiday was later commercialized, and by the 1980s, it became a vehicle for beer companies and restaurants to offer Cinco de Mayo specials and deals.

Chipotle meets Roblox

Newport Beach-based company Chipotle has partnered with the popular video game “Roblox” to offer 50,000 users a chance to win a burrito or comparable entree.

The restaurant will host the game “Ingredient Quest” on Roblox, where players will search for 53 ingredient cards to score a free entree. The game will start on May 5 at 3 p.m. ET and run until the 50,000 burritos have been claimed.

Aside from the chance to win a free prize, the burrito chain will also offer free delivery with code “DELIVER” on the app or website from May 1- 5. They also offer a free chips and queso dip with code “CINCO25” on the app or website from May 2- 5.

The company has 499 locations in California, according to their site.

Guac on the Rock

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s “Guac on the Rock” returns with his Teremana Tequila brand offering to pay for appetizers at participating restaurants serving cocktails made with the spirit. The deal runs from May 1- May 30.

Those hoping to participate need to snap picture of their receipt showing the purchase of a cocktail and submit it on the site to receive a Venmo reimbursement.

Teremana’s website has a full list of locations in California.

Other restaurants in California offering Cinco de Mayo deals:

• California Pizza Kitchen- The pizza restaurant will be offering $5 margaritas for select margaritas, they are also offering a free side of white corn guacamole and chips starting from May 1-5.
• Chili’s- The restaurant will offer its Tequila Trifecta drink for only $5 on May 5 only.
• Del Taco- The fast food chain is offering an online or in-app only deal through May 1- 5; Customers can get a FREE burrito daily for 5 days with $10 purchase, they will also have surprise deals on Cinco de Mayo.
• El Pollo Loco- The `chicken spot announced on an Instagram post a limited time deal for those hoping to cater their Cinco de Mayo party with the first 5,000 people who use code CATERCINCO to get $20 off a $100 order from May 2-5.
• Jinya Ramen Bar- eight locations in Southern California with one in the Bay Area. Select locations are offering $2 mini taco’s all day long on May 5.

Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at [email protected].