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Del Taco pulls wraps off ‘Fresh Flex’ prototypeDel Taco pulls wraps off ‘Fresh Flex’ prototype

Design expands real estate options and offers third-party delivery pickup areas, double drive-thrus and parking for dining in cars

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

January 5, 2021

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Del Taco Restaurants Inc., the quick-service Mexican-American brand, on Tuesday pulled the wraps off its pandemic-altered store prototype, offering flexibility in size and cost.

The Lake Forest, Calif.-based company’s prototype has tapped into consumer changes by offering third-party delivery pick-up areas, double drive-thru lanes to highlight mobile orders or delivery driver pickups and dedicated parking lot areas for customers who want to dine in their automobiles.

Del Taco is also offering multiple buildout options with a “Menu of Venues” strategy with a range of stores from 1,200 to 2,400 square feet to adapt to various real estate options.

“Our new prototype solidifies our relationships with new and longstanding fans by offering them the most efficient, convenient and enjoyable environment possible,” said John Cappasola Jr., Del Taco CEO, in a statement.

Del Taco collaborated with San Diego, Calif.-based MY Studio ID for the new design, which offers back-lit towers and a color palette of green, yellow and orange.

Inside the unit, built-in coolers provide a transparent display of the ingredients and an open kitchen.

The company said the prototype options were designed to help franchise developers be more flexible in choosing real estate, including small footprint drive-thru only models, drive-thru endcaps, conversions and freestanding sites.

Related:El Pollo Loco CEO Bernard Acoca explains how the restaurant’s new store prototypes will fuel growth outside its core market

“We put a major emphasis on optimizing kitchen efficiency,” said Chad Gretzema, Del Taco’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “It is the production engine of our brand, so each new restaurant size scales around the kitchen.”

The design also offers a template for remodeling of older Del Taco units, the company noted.

Billy Jensen, an operating partner of Jetz Foods, a multi-unit franchise group in the Southeast, said, “In site selection, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model doesn’t work because every market is different. Del Taco understands that, and they’ve provided solutions to address common issues developers and operators see every day.”

For the third quarter ended Sept. 8, Del Taco swung to a net profit of $5.8 million, or 15 cents per share, from a net loss of $7.7 million, or 21 cents per share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue increased 0.5%, to $120.8 million, from the same quarter last year.

As of Sept. 8, Del Taco had 596 restaurants in 16 states. The brand was founded in 1964.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

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About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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