Fresh Ingredients
Fresh tastes better. Our menu starts and ends with fresh ingredients.
The results are in for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards! Del Taco won in two categories including BEST Fast Food Restaurant & BEST Fast Food Fries! Thank you to all of our loyal guests. We truly are so honored.
Ready to join our award-winning franchise? Let's get started!
At Del Taco, we've noticed there's a wide range of reasons our franchisees decide to invest in our brand. Watch this short video or scroll down to find a few of the most common reasons to own a Del Taco Franchise.
Fresh tastes better. Our menu starts and ends with fresh ingredients.
The Del Taco was named the Best Fast Food Taco by Thrillist.
We are the second largest Mexican QSR concept in the United States.*
9 consecutive years of Total Franchise Same Stores Sales Growth*
Proven performance and demand in new markets supported with an omni channel marketing approach.
Take advantage of an opportunity to grow your wealth with a QSR brand on the rise.
Positioned for continual growth with a compelling QSR+ proposition that resonates with consumers.
Franchisees receive initial and ongoing training from our seasoned staff members.
For more than 60 years, Del Taco has been serving freshly prepared, craveable food at an unbeatable value. This rare combination is one of the many reasons that we are one of the leading brands in the fast-growing Mexican quick-service restaurant (QSR) category.
In 1964, Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opened the first Del Taco in Yermo, CA with a menu of tacos, tostadas, fries, and cheeseburgers.
Del Taco is the second largest Mexican QSR in the country. This is a direct reflection of our effective barbell menu strategy, full complement of dayparts, and ongoing menu innovation that appeals to a broad demographic and continues to drive increased traffic and sales.
Del Taco's menu includes tacos and burritos as well as burgers and fries. It spans a full complement of dayparts from breakfast to dinner to late night and everything in between. By offering unbeatable variety from premium menu items to the industry leading Value Menu, Del Taco gains a competitive advantage in today’s busy marketplace by giving our guests more reasons to visit.
In the early days, we were known as Casa Del Taco which translates to "Taco House" from Spanish to English. In 1973, we decided to change our name to simply Del Taco and we've kept it that way ever since.
Del Taco has the unique ability to deliver QSR speed and convenience with value and affordability under the same roof as our freshly prepared ingredients.
Get to know Del Taco with some numbers behind our better taco franchise.
Average Unit Volume**
Del Taco Restaurants
Years in Business
States Del Taco Operates In
The bold, new prototype holistically reconceptualizes Del Taco restaurants. The Fresh Flex design's striking exteriors and distinctive interiors evoke a contemporary feel, while lowering net investment costs, improving real estate flexibility, and providing ultimate convenience for guests and operators.
With innovative additions like third-party pick-up stations and double drive-thru lanes with a dedicated lane for mobile orders and delivery pickups, the future-focused model optimizes operational efficiencies and caters to modern consumer expectations like accessibility, speed of service, and brand transparency.
***Will Vary By Commitment
We are looking for a special kind of franchisee — one who wants to be part of our iconic brand and invest in growth! The ideal candidate or investment group will:
Del Taco occupies the space between a traditional QSR and a Fast Casual atmosphere, by offering delicious quality food, prepared with fresh ingredients, and served with the value and convenience of a drive-thru. We're at the forefront of the QSR+ category.
Guests love Del Taco's Mexican-inspired favorites and American classics, prepared with fresh ingredients, hand-chopped, slow-cooked, and grilled in each restaurant's working kitchen. As much as our customers love our food, they also appreciate the convenience our restaurants and drive-thru lanes provide for their busy lives.
Our franchise partners enjoy the benefits of customized marketing plans designed to support successful restaurant openings and maintain awareness.
The total estimated initial investment range is $1,312,200 - $3,085,000 and includes the initial franchise fees, training costs, inventory, build-out expenses, computer hardware and software, insurance and three months working capital. The investment varies for each Del Taco location depending on the market you choose. Please refer to Items 5 and 7 in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for a clear representation of the total fees and investment needed.
We are looking for a special kind of franchisee — one who wants to be part of our iconic brand and invest in growth! The ideal candidate/group will be well-capitalized and have knowledge of the local real estate market and an understanding of development as well as multi-unit restaurant experience and have a passion for getting involved in the local community. We are looking for candidates/investment groups who are pioneers and who are willing and eager to start off by developing new stores to build their empire and wealth.
Del Taco requires minimum liquidity of $500,000 and a minimum net worth of $1 million. The number of restaurants you’ve committed to developing and the size of your territory will determine your total financial requirements.
Today's competitive quick-serve restaurant industry calls for ownership groups with strong restaurant operational backgrounds. In order to qualify, your group must have at least one person with recent multi-unit restaurant operations experience and the ability and desire to enrich people’s lives through exceptional customer service, guest experience, and employee satisfaction. This operating partner must live in the market and have at least a 10% ownership in the Del Taco operations.
The ongoing royalty fee is 5% of net sales and the marketing fee is 4% of net sales.
Use of the Del Taco® brand name, systems, logo, and store design.
A comprehensive Training Program designed to prepare you for daily operation of your restaurant.
Site selection support.
Construction & design support. Conceptual floor plans and site plans are provided. These must be sealed by an approved architect before submitting them to local government entities.
Franchise development support and a step-by-step guide through the process of new-store layout, ordering of equipment, furniture, and fixtures.
Support and training assistance in pre-opening and opening.
Ongoing support from: Franchise Business Consultants, Culinary & Innovation Team, and R&D. Plus, purchasing, distribution, and marketing support for local store.
We prefer multi-unit agreements, but there are circumstances in which we may consider smaller (one or two unit) agreements.
Yes, Del Taco offers an incentive for multi-unit franchisees who choose to sign up for three or more stores under our Development Incentive Program.
Under the Development Incentive Program for qualified buyers, if you sign a Development Agreement for a minimum of three (3) restaurants to be developed and opened under the development schedule during the time frames specified in the Development Agreement, and certain other requirements are met, you may be eligible for the following incentive:
The Royalty (which is currently 5% of Gross Sales) will be reduced to: (i) 1% of Gross Sales for the first year; (ii) 2% of Gross Sales for the second year; (iii) 3% of Gross Sales for the third year; (iv) 4% of Gross Sales for the fourth year; and (v) 5% of Gross Sales for all subsequent years.
Based upon Federal Trade Commission guidelines, we are precluded from providing earnings estimates or profit potential. We encourage prospective franchisees to conduct significant due diligence prior to committing to a new business venture. We provide names and phone numbers of existing franchisees in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). A pro forma financial statement that shows the operating performance of our company owned locations is included in the FDD for your review. At the end of the day, you are in control of this question. Your willingness to adhere to our operating system and your dedication to customer service are the key factors in answering this question.
At Del Taco, we can go as fast as you are willing to go. The process to become a franchisee with Del Taco typically ranges from 90 - 120 days.
Del Taco does not provide financing; however, we do provide a list of banks/financing institutions that have expressed an interest in lending to Del Taco franchisees. To facilitate financing, Del Taco is listed on the SBA Registry.
To learn more about becoming a Del Taco franchisee, please complete this form and a member of our team will contact you!
Hear what franchise owners at Del Taco have to say about working with our iconic taco franchise.
"With strong year-over-year store sales growth, our group believes we are not even close to the number of locations we can own and operate."
"Del Taco's Leadership Team is incredibly strong. They're guided by data-driven decisions that have measurable results for the brand."
"I only wish I had become a franchisee sooner. There's never been a better time to be a part of this brand."
*Table 19-3 Presented below are the same store sales growth/contraction for all franchised Del Taco restaurants that had been operating for at least 18 months, as of the end of each of the 2013 to 2021 fiscal years. The figures compare the same store sales of all franchised Del Taco restaurants reported for the fiscal year against that reported by all franchised Del Taco restaurants for the immediately preceding fiscal year. During the fiscal years surveyed, no freestanding franchised restaurants closed after being open less than 12 months. “Total Franchise” means franchise same store sales growth for each year. Del Taco LLC Franchise Disclosure Document | 2022
**Figures reflect the average sales and operating figures of all freestanding company-operated Del Taco restaurants that have been in operation for at least one year. At the end of our most recent fiscal year ended December 28, 2021, we had a total of 294 company-owned restaurants. Of those, 287 constitute freestanding restaurants, and 282 of them have operated for more than one year. In fiscal year 2021, of the 282 restaurants, 133 restaurants (47%) had sales in excess of the $1,622,531 average
***Figures are for freestanding franchisee-owned restaurants. In FY 2013, 101 or 44% had average sales ≥ $1,075,499; in FY 2014, 95 or 43% had average sales ≥ $1,145,937; in FY 2015, 97 or 43% had average sales ≥ $1,222,865; in FY 2016, 95 or 43% had average sales ≥ $1,316,732; in FY 2017, 98 or 44% had average sales ≥ $1,350,566; in FY 2018, 100 or 44% had average sales ≥ $1,404,461; in FY 2019, 99 or 43% had average sales ≥ $1,414,604; in FY 2020, 112 or 42% had average sales ≥ $1,407,877 and in FY 2021, 118 or 43% had average sales ≥ $1,536,948. See Item 19 of our March 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. There is no assurance that you will do as well, a new franchisee’s results may differ from the represented results.
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