Del Taco, which earlier this January opened on Mansell Road in Roswell, has closed. The restaurant, located at 850 Mansell Road, just off Alpharetta Highway, opened in place of The Counter, a quick-serve burger eatery which had operated out of the converted bank for about ten years. Lake Forest, California-based Del Taco, which is currently celebrating 55 years in business, didn't even last one year in Roswell. The restaurant reportedly closed effective Monday, September 2.
The closure, which an employee at another local Del Taco referred to as a "business decision," was reportedly executed as a result of disappointing sales at the restaurant. While it's perhaps unfair to point to any particular reason as a cause for the closure, comments on Yelp.com from former customers of the restaurant shed some light on at least three reasons that traffic may have fallen short of expectations.
Despite having a decent overall rating of three stars, seven of the restaurant's eighteen reviews were one star ratings, many of which cited similar instances of incorrect orders, poor service, and long waits, among other issues.
ToNeTo Atlanta ate at the Roswell location in August and while we did have an acceptable experience, service was a bit slow and the dining room was not very full at a prime weekday dinner hour. Also, while marketed well to existing email subscribers, the fact that the restaurant offers Beyond Meat in both its burritos and tacos is likely not something many realize, and while it surely would not have had the impact of KFC's recent Beyond Meat promotion, it might have helped drive traffic.
The Roswell outpost is the second Atlanta area Del Taco to close over the past year or so. A Del Taco restaurant on Roswell Road in East Cobb closed last July after about three years in business. [ToNeTo Atlanta reported August 7 that Five Guys Burger & Fries is looking to open in the former East Cobb location.] One difference between the two Del Tacos is that the the East Cobb restaurant was reportedly owned by a franchisee while the Roswell restaurant was reportedly corporately owned.
Despite the struggles, Del Taco continues to operate seventeen restaurants in Georgia including recently opened locations in Fayetteville and Riverdale. Additionally, as ToNeTo Atlanta first reported July 26, a new Del Taco is coming soon to a former Pollo Tropical on LaVista Road in Tucker. The Tucker restaurant is the third former Pollo Tropical that Del Taco will have converted following earlier openings in Gainesville and Hiram. Real estate sources tell ToNeTo Atlanta that the company is also "interested" in opening in former Pollo Tropical restaurants in Buford near the Mall of Georgia and in Lawrenceville near AMC Colonial 18.
Are you surprised that Del Taco closed its Roswell restaurant? What would you like to see open in place of Del Taco in Roswell? Where would you like to see Del Taco open next?
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