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South Bend restaurant taking down controversial billboard

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) – Hacienda Mexican Restaurants plan to replace a controversial billboard by the end of the week, weather permitting.

Jeff Leslie, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the restaurant chain, confirmed plans to remove the billboard in an email to 24-Hour News 8’s sister station, WSBT.

The sign reads: “The Best Mexican Food This Side of the Wall.”

Representatives for La Casa de Amistad, a not-for-profit in South Bend that focuses on building educational and life skills in the Hispanic and Latino community, said the slogan has a political connotation that is offensive to the Latino community.

Officials with Hacienda said they did not intend to upset anybody, and they were just trying to be funny.