Del Taco originated in California in 1964 and has opened almost 600 restaurants over the past 60 years.
On Sept. 18, Del Taco opened the first in Southwest Florida—first, meaning someday there likely will be a second, said Kenther Ramos, operating partner and president of Sarasota-based Quality Restaurant Group.
The company chose the northeast corner of Murdock Circle and U.S. 41 for more reasons than just the prime corner, high-traffic-volume location.
“Every time we select a site, we don’t look for the best spot,” Ramos said. “We don’t look for a money-making machine. We just look for the best communities. We believe that Port Charlotte is one of those communities.”
The 12th Del Taco in Florida—with a 13th set to open next week in Kissimmee—has about 55 employees. It’s located at 19001 Murdock Circle alongside another new restaurant, the region’s first Buffalo Wild Wings GO, which has 80% of Buffalo Wild Wings’ menu items but with a focus on grab-and-go or drive-thru instead of dining inside.
Buffalo Wild Wings also would consider other sites in Southwest Florida, Ramos said, but as with Del Taco, a second location has yet to be selected.
Most of Del Taco’s menu items fall in the $5 to $12 price range, although there are a handful of items available for $2 or less.
“We have fresh food,” Ramos said. “Made special. Made from scratch. We have our guacamole made every day. Our pico de gallo gets made every day. We’ve got peppers coming in every morning. We have cheese shredded. We get your tortillas done, your chips made every morning.
“We offer a value menu that has good flavor, good taste, quality food, at a lower price point.”
Ramos recognized that other than Charlotte County residents, the rest of Southwest Florida faced about an hour drive to try Del Taco. Of course, he recommended it.
“Listen, you’re craving Del Taco right now, you’re craving the guacamole, I suggest you drive an hour here,” Ramos said. “But we’re going to expand the market. We’re looking at other sites. We’re looking at other territories. There might be chance that we’re down south to the Fort Myers, Naples area, here shortly.”
