Del Taco’s new owners want to bring the old Del Taco back.
The Mexican fast-food chain, sold last year to Yadav Enterprises, revealed an 18-month turnaround plan this week that it calls “Project Sunrise.” Much of that plan appears designed to erase some of the chain’s recent history and bring back menu items and ingredients and preparation styles that had been either eliminated or changed over the past few years.
“Project Sunrise is about getting back to what makes Del Taco special,” Anil Yadav, CEO of Yadav Enterprises, said in a statement.
To wit: Del Taco plans to bring back both the old names of numerous products and their previous ingredients and preparation methods.
The company is bringing back its Classic Burrito line, for instance, using the chain’s open-ended burrito fold. The Del Combo Burrito, which had been renamed the Combo Beef and Bean, will come back, as will the Del Classic Chicken Burrito (formerly Grilled Chicken), the Del Beef Burrito (formerly Beef and Cheddar) and the 8-Layer Veggie Burrito.
Members of the Del Yeah Rewards loyalty program will be able to buy any Classic burrito, small fries and a small drink for $6 on the company’s app through March 15.
Company executives said they made that decision to address “negative guest feedback on changes made to products and ingredients over the past two years.”
“We’ve listened closely to our guests, and the message is clear: Deliver the food they know and love with the consistency and quality and value they expect, simplify where it matters and bring bold innovation that excites,” Ulyses Camacho, Del Taco’s chief transformation officer, said in a statement.
Del Taco has been in a tough situation. Same-store sales declined every quarter for more than two years, prompting Jack in the Box to sell the chain just three years after buying the concept, and at a decline in value.
The sales challenges had an impact on the brand’s operators, some of whom ended up in bankruptcy. That includes the operator of many of the chain’s locations in Georgia, which closed. Del Taco said it is looking at reopening those locations.
Del Taco’s new owners made it clear quickly that they wanted to erase the recent past. Camacho was one of several new executives brought in to fix the chain in January.
Some of those new executives, including Chief Marketing Officer Noah Chillingworth and head of supply chain Ellen Sasada, had worked with Del Taco for years before leaving following the sale to Jack in Box.
In addition to the changes in names and ingredients, Del Taco plans to bring back its Jack’d Up menu featuring Spicy Jack cheese, including a Spicy Jack Quesadilla, a Spicy Jack Chicken Quesadilla and the Jack’d Up Bean, Rice & Cheese Burrito.
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