Financing

How Bartaco adapted to the pandemic

Scott Lawton, CEO of the 20-unit chain, joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss the chain’s active few years.

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Bartaco has had a busy three years.

Scott Lawton, CEO and cofounder of the 20-unit taco chain, joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss those years and how the company has had to overcome the challenge of the coronavirus.

Bartaco was part of the Barteca Restaurant Group, which in 2018 was sold to Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. One year later, and due largely to that acquisition, Del Frisco’s was sold to the private-equity group L Catterton—which spun off Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and Del Frisco’s Grille to Landry’s and kept Bartaco and Barcelona Wine Bar.

Lawton left after the first acquisition and returned after the second. He discusses the challenges of those years and of dealing with the coronavirus as a stand-alone chain.

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