Just days after we reported that Del Tacoclosed its Roswell restaurant after just nine months in business, we have now confirmed a total of four more locations the chain plans to open in the greater metro Atlanta area in the coming months. In addition to units planned for Conyers and Loganville, ToNeTo Atlanta has now confirmed that the Lake Forest, California-based chain will also open new restaurants in place of shuttered Pollo Tropical locations in Buford and Lawrenceville.
In Buford, the new Del Taco will open at 3385 Buford Drive in an outparcel of Sam's Club, beside Krispy Kreme. In Lawrenceville, Del Taco will open at 825 Duluth Highway in an outparcel of the Home Depot/AMC Theatres-anchored Lawrenceville Market, just off 316.
The Lawrenceville location was the first corporately owned Pollo Tropical to open in metro Atlanta and debuted in August 2011. The Buford location came on line much later, opening in July 2015 and showcasing the brand's tweaked building and decor package. Both locations were among nine that the chain closed this past December amidst their complete withdrawal from the Atlanta market.
ToNeTo Atlanta reported July 26 that Del Taco is opening in place of the Tucker Pollo Tropical at 4227 LaVista Road. The Tucker location was already the third former Pollo Tropical that Del Taco has snapped up following earlier openings in converted locations in Gainesville and Hiram.
Del Taco's five locations in former Pollo Tropical restaurants in are the most by any single operator in metro Atlanta. Overall, however, Joella's Hot Chicken, a Louisville, Kentucky-based chain, has taken the most former Pollo Tropical restaurants nationally, including four in Georgia and three in Largo, Seminole, and Melbourne, Florida. The first of Joella's four planned locations in metro Atlanta opened earlier Friday in an outparcel of Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall.
In addition to the former Pollo Tropical restaurants in which Del Taco is opening, the chain is also opening a new location in Conyers where they replaced a former Ruby Tuesday. The restaurant, at 1714 Highway 138, is in an outparcel adjacent to Conyers Village shopping center. Another new Del Taco is being built from the ground up at 3975 Atlanta Highway in Loganville.
A consistent complaint from ToNeTo Atlanta readers about the Roswell Del Taco was that under-staffing and poorly trained employees led to disappointing experiences. Hopefully, as they continue to expand locally, Del Taco will take note of [and correct] the seemingly chronic issues that likely contributed to the Roswell restaurant's closure.
Are you excited for the continued local expansion of Del Taco? Do you think Del Taco can fix their service and training issues or are there just not enough good people for all the fast food restaurants? What is your favorite menu item at Del Taco?
Please share your thoughts below.