A second Del Taco restaurant is coming to the Bradenton area. Here’s what to know
Del Taco, which opened its first Bradenton-area restaurant on Nov. 22, is now looking further to the east.
The California-based company is planning to build a store at 1708 Pope Road in the White Eagle Shopping Center, south of State Road 64, according to paperwork filed with Manatee County Building Services.
Planned at Lakewood Ranch is a 2,304-square-foot Del Taco quick-service restaurant with drive-thru and patio.
Del Taco now bills itself as the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick service restaurant by number of units.
The company has about 600 restaurants across 15 states, and is seeking to add more.
Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opened the first Del Taco in Yermo, California, in 1964 with a menu of 19-cent tacos, tostadas, fries and 24-cent cheeseburgers, according to the company website.
When Del Taco opened its Bradenton store at 5610 Manatee Ave. W., the nearby Taco Bell caught locals’ attention when it responded by posting a meme on its sign: “She’s a 10 but eats Del Taco.”
While the newcomer did not choose to joust with Taco Bell, Del Taco brand president Chad Gretzema did take note of the sign.
“Reader boards are an iconic part of the fast-food industry and obviously have an impact on everyone,” Gretzema told the Bradenton Herald in December. “In this case, we were excited to come to Bradenton and to see other restaurants in the area wanting to engage with us.”
Del Taco will have lots more growth in Florida, Gretzema said.
In 2021, Del Taco announced growth plans in Florida after signing a development deal with FreshMex FL LLC.
Fresh Mex would be focused on Florida’s west coast, looking at real estate primarily in the Tampa metro market, including Bradenton-Sarasota.
For the record, Taco Bell also has a restaurant on State Road 64, east of Bradenton, at Heritage Harbour.
This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 1:13 PM.
