Del Taco is led by Brand President Tom Rose,[5] and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California.

Dick Naugle, who installed the kitchen equipment in the Corona store, was impressed by the design and joined Hackbarth and Jameson in the fledgling business.

The new owners sold the exclusive rights to use and develop the Del Taco name throughout the US (excluding California; Eugene, Oregon; and Yuma, Arizona) to W. R. Grace and Company.

[citation needed] In February 1989, Del Taco merged their restaurants with the 171 Naugles' Mexican fast food outlets.

In 1990, Kevin K. Moriarty joined Del Taco as CEO, soon becoming the owner of the brand in conjunction with his management team.

[11] Del Taco launched a $14 million program to redesign its restaurant exteriors, kitchens and corporate logo.

Although renovations were made to keep Del Taco profitable, the company continued to pay rent on several unprofitable outlets that had been closed.

Although the company signed a deal to open 15 franchise stores in the Northeast with many more in the Southeast, the chain was not near the goals publicized earlier.

That year a deal was signed with the Compass Group PLC that enabled Del Taco stores to open on US military bases.

The group claimed that while working at Del Taco in the Los Angeles area, they had suffered verbal abuse, had been passed over for promotions in favor of Hispanic workers, and were being fired and replaced by illegal immigrants.

[citation needed] The deal placed the Del Taco logo on signs, drink cups and special promotional items at the stadia of partner teams.

[10] In 2006, private Nashville, Tennessee-based Sagittarius Brands, LLC (the parent company of Captain D's Seafood), purchased Del Taco.

[16] W. R. Grace and Company had previously owned and operated locations in Texas with a licensing agreement in 1978, but sold the restaurants to Taco Bell in 1992.

[17] Guillermo Perales, one of the largest Hispanic restaurateurs in the nation, signed a franchisee agreement in 2011 to open additional locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.

[citation needed] Del Taco was purchased by Levy Acquisition Corporation and became a public company on June 30, 2015.

[31] On December 6, 2021, Jack in the Box announced it was acquiring Del Taco, saying the merger will cause both companies to benefit "from a stronger financial model, gaining greater scale to invest in digital and technology capabilities, and unit growth for both brands".

Del Taco also operates in several other states, including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

Dan destroyed cars, broke hockey-rink glass, and held a sales event at a nude beach, while promoting a specific item for Del Taco.

He also endorsed the Crispy Fish Taco in February 2008, the improved Chicken Quesadilla in April 2008, and Del's Deal in June 2008.

[45] In 2018, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Del Taco, stating that the shift leader and general manager of stores near Rancho Cucamonga, California, harassed female employees through vulgar comments, physical conduct, and propositions of sex.

The EEOC stated that the harassment occurred almost daily, and those who spoke up were retaliated against by having their work hours shortened or schedules changed.

In December 2020, Del Taco settled the lawsuit by agreeing to pay $12.5 million and enter a three-year consent decree.

[50][51] In 2017, Del Taco was accused of violating state wage and hour laws, with the case including people who worked for the company between 2012 and 2021.