(Lake Forest, CA)
Aug. 9, 2005 – Continuing its expansion in Colorado, Del Taco today
announced it has signed a franchise development agreement for five new
restaurants in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo areas. The agreement with
brothers Phillip and Jordan Fisher and their father Robert Fisher demonstrates
the continued interest in Del Taco in Colorado.
“We are pleased to welcome
the Fishers to the Del Taco family,” said Marc Mushkin, senior director
of franchise sales at Del Taco, Inc. “Colorado has given Del Taco
a warm welcome from the start when we opened our first restaurant there
in 2002. We continue to see great opportunity to serve our customers with
more locations.”
According to experienced restaurateur
Robert Fisher and his son Phil, Del Taco is appealing because it has the
highest sales volume of any Mexican quick-service restaurant; its average
unit volume (of nearly $1.2 million) is significantly higher than the
No. 1 chain in its category.
"We grew up with Del Taco
in southern California," Phil Fisher said. "The experience has
only gotten better for customers and stronger for franchisees. We are
excited to bring a familiar taste to a new audience in Colorado. "
The 41-year-old chain offers
menu items that appeal to a broad range of tastes with a strong emphasis
on quality and value. The menu includes Mexican offerings of tacos, burritos,
quesadillas and nachos as well as American favorites like hamburgers,
fries and milk shakes. Each item is made to order only when the customer
orders it with many quality ingredients including lard-free beans made
from scratch daily, real cheddar cheese grated on site, chicken grilled
fresh every hour, hand-made salsa and fresh produce.
Recently, Del Taco added the
Crispy Fish Taco to its menu and it immediately became one of the chain's
biggest selling items
Del Taco restaurants combine
an eclectic world of architecture, building design and decorating into
a lively, cantina-like Mexican diner with an inviting atmosphere. The
exterior of Del Taco restaurants feature a mixture of stucco walls and
an unusually expansive use of glass, "so the energy flows from inside
out and people can see what's going on," Fisher said. "We think
this design is going to attract a lot of attention from people looking
for something new and fun in fast food."
Also outside are backlit canopies,
barrel tile entrances and colorful patios surrounded with small, intimate
footlights. Fun, neon graphics in the windows depict unique product offerings
like Del Taco's popular Macho Burritos, signature menu items featuring
more than a pound of food.
Inside, customers will find
an eclectic array of elements ranging from hand-painted graphic art to
high tech design. "The furniture is completely different from what
you'd expect to find, with playful, new twists in color and comfort,"
Fisher said. Rather than stainless steel stanchions, a whimsical, curvy
pipe and joint system indicate queuing at the order counter with a slanted
menu board overhead. Likewise, ceiling fans are hung with brightly colored
conduit pipes. The interior's walls are uniquely textured with hand-painted
confetti and streamers -- all to reinforce a festive experience for the
customer. Ceilings are exposed, opening to girders and the roof deck,
rather than covered in acoustical tile.
Del Taco is a privately held
company that operates or franchises more than 445 Mexican quick service
restaurant locations throughout the United States. The company has been
on an aggressive campaign to grow beyond its Southern California roots
and continuing to expand in markets such Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon,
New Mexico and Washington.
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Please click here for more information on Del Taco.
