Del Taco to open up to 80 restaurants in Texas

Del Taco to open up to 80 restaurants in Texas

August 8th, 2010, 3:00 pm
Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

Del Taco opening near a Five Guys in Texas.

Following the footsteps of Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger, Del Taco plans to expand its Southern California brand to Texas.

Lake Forest-based Del Taco, the nation’s No. 3 Mexican quick-serve brand, will announce plans Monday to add up to 80 units in Texas. The chain, whose system-wide sales reached $568 million in 2009, recently broke ground on a Dallas -area restaurant.

After a major financial overhaul in the spring, Del Taco’s top boss said the chain would become a more aggressive fast-food brand. In an exclusive interview earlier this week, Chief Executive Paul Murphy said he’s ready to make good on that promise.

“We’re looking at the Southeast part of the U.S.,â€

Interesting. They couldn't make it where I live. It is a busy area with multiple fast food businesses, slow food restaurants, pharmacies, gas stations, 2 major supermarkets, banks, starbucks, huge child daycare, huge hospital and innumerable doctors offices and other medical facilities in the area, Starbucks, Chipotle, Burger King, game stores, Burger King, Wienerschnitzle, Chinese food, Pizza restaurant, Pizza fast food, Dollar Stores, multiple hair and barber shops, dry cleaning, Italian fine dining, gas stations and a bunch of other businesses that I have failed to identify. It is a bustling area that does not appear to have been affected by the economy at all. But this restaurant couldn't make it.

More than 500 locations.

The chain is concentrated in 16 states in the U.S.A., with six of the states being in the Eastern half of the United States (Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio). The vast majority of the restaurants are located on the West Coast (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) with Las Vegas, Nevada having the most Del Tacos of any one city and California having the most Del Tacos of any one state by far.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Taco

We used to have Del Taco here in Fort Worth back in the early 80's. There was too much competition from Taco Plaza, Taco Bueno and Taco Bell. They didn't last very long. Now, we have Taco Cabana and Rosa's Cafe as well. I don't see Del Taco making it here.....again.

I am excited to see Carls Jr popping up, as well as the first In n Out Burger in Garland, Tx.