LAKE FOREST, Calif., June 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:TACO), the nation’s second leading Mexican quick service restaurant,* today unveiled its system wide brand refresh, furthering its mission to be the category leader in the value-oriented QSR-plus space. Building off of its successful QSR-plus repositioning that has delivered 18 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth and five fiscal years of positive company traffic, Del Taco is implementing a combination of new back-of-house and guest-facing initiatives to further differentiate and separate itself in the crowded QSR and fast casual landscape.
Initiatives included in the brand refresh are:
- New concept tagline – Fresh Mexican Grill
- New holistic advertising campaign, “Celebrating the Hardest Working Hands in Fast Food,” reinforcing fresh ingredient preparation, including chopping, grilling, slicing and shredding, which is prevalent across the brand’s menu items
- A Fresh Produce Chalkboard posted in each restaurant, showcasing where produce is sourced from, when it was picked, and which team member prepared it that day
- Reimagined packaging, with a more contemporary design and color palate inspired by the brand’s Southern California heritage
- Hospitality initiatives, including a focus on creating more personalized interactions, such as calling guests by name vs. order number, as well as team members introducing themselves by name
- Redesigned panels of interior and drive-thru menu boards
- Quesadilla equipment innovation designed to provide a more caramelized exterior and melty interior
- Crew uniforms that celebrate the fresh preparation Del Taco teams do everyday in each restaurant
“We’re further leaning into what enables this brand to continue to differentiate itself from Taco Bell and Chipotle, with industry-leading value and traditional food prep, where our team members chop, dice, shred and grill throughout the day,” said M. Barry Westrum, Del Taco’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Reinforcing Del Taco’s commitment to delivering high quality, fresh and made-to-order items, the brand is also expanding its Buck and Under Menu with the introduction of its new Chicken Quesadilla Snacker. Priced at just $1**, the new Chicken Quesadilla Snacker combines a generous portion of freshly grilled chicken and hand-grated cheddar cheese, grilled to perfection in a flour tortilla in new foil packaging designed to enhance product integrity while on the go.
“The $1 Chicken Quesadilla Snacker is a perfect example of our barbell menu strategy, which highlights ingredients that are prepped fresh across our entire menu, from value to premium. It’s a Del Taco differentiator, and an attribute we’re fully leveraging, while empowering our team members to deliver a service experience that is on par with leading fast casual concepts,” added Westrum.
*By number of units
**Price and participation may vary
About Del Taco Restaurants, Inc.
Del Taco (NASDAQ:TACO) offers a unique variety of both Mexican and American favorites such as burritos and fries, prepared fresh in every restaurant's working kitchen with the value and convenience of a drive-thru. Del Taco's menu items taste better because they are made with quality ingredients like fresh grilled chicken and carne asada steak, hand-sliced avocado, hand-grated cheddar cheese, slow-cooked beans made from scratch, and creamy Queso Blanco.
Del Taco’s new advertising campaign, “Celebrating the Hardest Working Hands in Fast Food,” further communicates the company’s commitment to providing guests with fresh, quality food prepared by hand every day. Founded in 1964, today Del Taco serves more than three million guests each week at its more than 560 restaurants across 14 states. For more information, visit www.deltaco.com.
Media Contact
Joshua Levitt
Canvas Blue
949-981-0757
jlevitt@canvasblue.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/baaa2a83-8ac1-4a08-89f0-bc1c57a23a5f