Del Taco facts for kids
Logo of Del Taco used since February 2012
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast food |
| Founded | September 16, 1964 Yermo, California |
| Founders | Ed Hackbarth David Jameson |
| Headquarters |
25521 Commercentre Drive, Lake Forest, California
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US
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Number of locations
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594 as of May 1, 2023[update] |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Revenue |  US$513 million (2019) |
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Number of employees
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8,000 (2019) |
| Parent | Jack in the Box (2022–present) |
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. is a popular American fast-food restaurant chain. It serves both American-style Mexican food and classic American dishes. You can find items like tacos, burritos, burgers, fries, and milkshakes on their menu. Del Taco is led by Brand President Tom Rose. Its main office is in Lake Forest, California. In March 2022, another company called Jack in the Box bought Del Taco. Today, Del Taco has about 600 restaurants in 16 US states.
Contents
History of Del Taco
Starting in the 1960s
The very first Del Taco restaurant opened on September 16, 1964. It was started by Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson in Yermo, California. Back then, it was called "Casa Del Taco." On its first day, the restaurant made $169!
Because the first restaurant was so popular, they opened more. Soon, they had five locations, including one in Corona, California. This Corona location was special because it was the first Del Taco with a drive-through window.
In 1966, the founders created a company to let other people open Del Taco restaurants. This is called franchising. They also created the first Del Taco sun logo that year. In 1967, they added their famous bean and cheese burrito to the menu.
Growing in the 1970s
In 1973, the company changed its name from "Casa Del Taco" to just "Del Taco." They were opening a new restaurant almost every month!
In 1976, the original owners sold Del Taco to a group of investors. These new owners helped Del Taco grow even more. By 1977, there were 50 Del Taco restaurants. Just one year later, in 1978, that number doubled to 100!
Changes in the 1980s
By 1981, Del Taco had around 350 restaurants, mostly in California.
In 1989, Del Taco joined with another Mexican fast-food chain called Naugles. This merger made Del Taco much bigger. It helped the chain spread to more states. During the 1980s, some Del Taco restaurants even started staying open all night.
The 1990s and New Looks
In 1990, Kevin K. Moriarty became the CEO of Del Taco. He worked to make the brand better and improve the customer experience.
In 1992, Del Taco gained full control of its name again. This meant they could expand outside of California more easily. The company spent a lot of money to update its restaurants and create a new logo. The new logo featured a yellow sun rising over green mountains with a red background. These colors represented cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, which are key ingredients in their food.
Even with these changes, Del Taco faced some financial challenges in 1993. However, they worked hard to fix things. By 1998, Del Taco had 325 restaurants in 12 states.
The 2000s and Sponsorships
By the year 2000, Del Taco had 372 restaurants in ten US states. They even made a deal to open restaurants on US military bases, including one in Maryland. There were also plans for bases in Puerto Rico and Italy.
To improve its image, Del Taco started sponsoring sports teams. They partnered with hockey teams like the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and basketball teams like the Los Angeles Clippers. This helped them become more well-known. By 2003, Del Taco announced that their restaurants were doing very well, with high average sales per store.
In 2004, a company called Sagittarius Brands bought Del Taco. By 2008, Del Taco celebrated opening its 500th restaurant in Burbank, California.
The 2010s and Expansion
Del Taco started opening new locations in Texas again in 2010. They also expanded into Colorado in 2011, opening stores in Denver and Colorado Springs. More locations opened in Houston and other Texas cities. In 2013, Del Taco opened its first store in Oklahoma.
In 2015, Del Taco became a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market.
The 2020s and New Rewards
In 2020, Del Taco announced plans to expand into new markets like Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They even opened a location in Guam!
In September 2021, Del Taco launched a new rewards program app called "Del Yeah! Rewards." This app lets customers earn points and get special deals.
Later in 2021, Jack in the Box announced it would buy Del Taco. This big deal was completed in March 2022. The two companies together now have over 2,800 locations across 25 states.
Where to Find Del Taco
Del Taco has restaurants in 15 US states and one US Territory (Guam). As of May 2023, there were 594 locations. Most of their restaurants are in California. You can also find Del Taco in states like Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Las Vegas, Nevada, has the most Del Taco restaurants of any single city.
What's on the Menu?
Del Taco's menu has many popular items, including:
- Hard Shell Tacos
- Soft Tacos
- Burritos
- Quesadillas
- Nachos
- Deluxe Taco Salad
- Crinkle Cut French Fries
- Chili Cheddar Fries
- Double Del Cheeseburger
- Bacon Del Cheeseburger
- Triple Del Cheeseburger
- Shakes
- Dinner Burritos
In 2019, Del Taco started offering plant-based "Beyond Tacos" made with Beyond Meat. They have since added other vegetarian and vegan options using these plant-based crumbles. In 2020, Del Taco also launched a new dollar menu with items costing a dollar or less.
Marketing and Mascots
Del Taco has used different ways to advertise over the years.
Their first mascot, used from 1999 to 2000, was a character named "Del Taco." He wore a mask and a black costume. However, this character looked a bit too much like the famous Zorro character. So, Del Taco had to change their mascot and eventually stopped using him.
From 2000 to 2006, an actor named Gregg Binkley played "Dan" in their commercials. Dan was a funny, clumsy spokesman who would often get into silly situations while promoting Del Taco's food.
From 2007 to 2008, Del Taco featured "The Beast" in their ads. "The Beast" was a character who represented hunger. He would stand next to customers and encourage them to order food to "Feed the Beast," which was Del Taco's slogan at the time.
Later, Del Taco used the slogan "Go Bold or Go Home." Their commercials for this slogan were creative, sometimes featuring tiny "Mole Men" to promote new items.
More recently, in 2018, Del Taco started a campaign to celebrate its employees. Their new slogan was "Celebrating the hardest working hands in fast food." They also use the slogan "That's unfreshing believable" to highlight their fresh ingredients.
Images for kids
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The Del Taco in Denton, Texas, which opened in 2010 and closed five years later
