Del Taco has now closed all of its remaining Georgia locations. The chain, which re-entered the Georgia market in 2012, closed eight locations last year after one of its largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy. The remaining locations closed as of 3PM February 17, according to a source familiar with the closure.
The latest failure in Georgia marks the third time the chain has retreated entirely from the state.
The chain has not provided any statement regarding the closures, but all Georgia restaurants are now marked permanently closed on Google and all have been removed from the corporate Del Taco website.
Following a series of closures in 2025, there were still more than a dozen Del Taco restaurants in Georgia including those in Calhoun, Centerville, Columbus, Dalton, Douglasville, Fort Oglethorpe, Gainesville, Lawrenceville, Rome, Smyrna, Snellville, and Tucker.
When the Snellville unit (1895 Scenic Highway N.) opened in February 2012, it was to be the first of 60 units the chain planned on opening in Georgia. Given that the closures now and in 2025 were only the latest in the gradual reduction in the market, it's unclear what their peak unit count was in Georgia but we can confidently say it never got anywhere near 60 units.
Jack in the Box purchased Del Taco in March 2022 for $585 million but ultimately determined the brand was not a fit and this past December completed its sale of the quick-serve Mexican chain for $119 million to Yadav Enterprises.
Del Taco's complete retreat from Georgia follows similar moves by other chains that entered the Atlanta market with tremendous hype and fanfare only to leave the state entirely a few years later. Among the more notable quick-serve chains to have entered and later left Atlanta entirely are El Pollo Loco, Pollo Tropical, and Smashburger. El Pollo Loco, which shuttered its final Atlanta area units in 2011, in 2025 had its best development year since 2022, and sources suggest Atlanta could be on the chain's radar.
The former Del Taco at 2521 Cobb Parkway in Smyrna is likely seen as the crown jewel of the chain's Atlanta portfolio. It was previously an El Pollo Loco and occupies a prominent, easily accessed location along Cobb Parkway, across from Heritage Pavilion shopping center and close to Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta as well as Cumberland Mall.
Are you surprised to see Del Taco leave the Atlanta market again? What would you like see open in place of the many former Del Tacos around the state? What is your favorite fast-food chain?
Please share your thoughts below.
27 comments:
Well darn! I liked Del Taco and hate to hear they've closed yet again.
Can’t say I’m surprised. The Smyrna one was good in the past, but I stopped going years ago. Big quality drop off.
Didn't really like their food anyway ..
I am not surprised by this. Late last year I tried to call the Smyrna location and the phone was out of order. I called another location same. I went to the restaurant not sure if it was open, it was. I mentioned the phone was out of order and there was no concern. They knew it was not working and that was a corporate decision to disconnect phone service. I thought, first the phone what's next? Now we know!
Yes!! I’m SUPER bummed. I’m a military spouse and we were SO excited when Del Taco opened in Fort Benning years ago. We moved away and recently moved back. Being Californians we were happy to have access to Del Taco again… it was very short lived and we had 0 awareness it was closing!
Well that sucks. Seems like none of my childhood favorites can make it here. El Pollo loco was another one I loved. Waiting for In-N-Out and if that fails I’m moving back to Cali.
Sorry it finally closed, knew it was coming. I liked their food (ate it a lot in California) but my Lawrenceville location was always empty.
Was hoping the new owners would want to improve Georgia restaurants and actually spend money on advertising so Georgians understood that Del Taco was not Taco Bell as I suspect most thought. Never got why advertising spend was effectively $0 the entire time they were here.
Grew up eating Del Taco at its first iteration. When left market last in early 2000s it wasn't surprised as quality by then was really bad mostly because of the franchise owners but bad owners is a corporate central problem.
This iteration was return to quality of food but quality of service was pretty bad and slow across the board. Which I was fine with because really missed their food. I knew they were not going to last when had to close the Mall of Georgia location at a good spot that should have done well but again bad service.
Ultimately lack of brand awareness and slow service did them in. Sadly suspect Del Taco will never return to Georgia again. At least can order their sauce packets online. For now since future of franchise isn't looking good if new owners are already cutting limbs off.
Red door foods is a terrible company why does this article say anything about the employees and how that had no warning ??
I get what you're saying, but why would any customer feel the need to call a fast food place? Maybe there's that random person who just wants to know if it's open I guess? But I'm sure that's pretty rare though. And I'm sure the vendors and suppliers have the direct numbers for the GM/Franchisee.
It's been mentioned on here a few times, but their lack of marketing and advertising killed them. Plus they don't/didn't have the most visible locations. Even the Smyrna location which is right off the EW Connector is easy to miss.
:Corporate" is planning to reopen a lot of Hardee's locations
Grew up on Del Taco. Was sad when it left. Was glad when it returned. Now sad again as likely this will be the last time in my lifetime I eat there unless go west for whatever reason.
I figured this was coming when the company got bought up in late 2025 as actions of stuff like that layoffs and shrinking. I was also hoping they might surprise me with an actual vision for the company but pretty clear they don't have one.
Its a shame but not surprising in the end. The quality had returned but the service was often slow and not great. Add to that they did nothing to advertise themselves. Most just confused them with Taco Bell. You have to fight in the market and Del Taco's response was to hope word of mouth would do it and when your service is meh, that isn't going to happen.
Yep. No one answers their business phones anymore. Little Caesars hasn’t answered their phone in 2 years. I hope they go out next.
Grew up on Del Taco. Was sad when it left. Was glad when it returned. Now sad again as likely this will be the last time in my lifetime I eat there unless go west for whatever reason.
I figured this was coming when the company got bought up in late 2025 as actions of stuff like that layoffs and shrinking. I was also hoping they might surprise me with an actual vision for the company but pretty clear they don't have one.
Its a shame but not surprising in the end. The quality had returned but the service was often slow and not great. Add to that they did nothing to advertise themselves. Most just confused them with Taco Bell. You have to fight in the market and Del Taco's response was to hope word of mouth would do it and when your service is meh, that isn't going to happen.
The one by the Battery was great until it wasn’t. Went under a different manager and it sucked. Went from lines to the door or out. Then empty. Sucks, because they just got a new manager and it was getting way better and I started going back
I always knew where they were and what they had and ate there often. I didn’t need a fancy billboard or expensive TV commercial to know.
Please move back to Cal and take your family with you.
Once they started closing locations in Georgia from Bankruptcy last year, you knew the end was probably going to happen for the rest of their Del Taco stores locations here as continued rising costs and higher wages. Also, since they used fresh ingredients and real meat compared to Taco Bell and less people eating out at actual restaurants completely changed when the Pandemic hit them (and other fast food restaurants) as I noticed no one sitting down at their Smyrna or East-West Connector locations anymore. I will miss Taco Tuesday for 3 Del Tacos for $4.50 that used to be $3.49 and coupon specials on their Del Taco app. I have to agree like lot of others stated they did not advertise really at all compared to competitor Taco Bell. I guess I will be using sit down restaurants like Los Bravos more now to get a decent Mexican meal now. P.S.- I am glad I did not buy any gift cards as only they would be good in certain other states like when traveling down to their Florida stores.
God please don't put another chicken restaurant in it's place! We don't need chicken nuggets, ckn strips, chicken tenders, ckn sandwich, chicken legs or wings on Cobb parkway anymore! No finger licking lip smacking ckn on our lips restaurant! Especially talking to you salty ckn Zaxby's ... Not enough water could wash that salty ckn down!
I am not surprised - but I am bummed. They closed the Kennesaw locations a while back, which were the closest locations for me. Their food always seemed better quality. I loved that they included tomatoes on their regular tacos. But the taco meat, while more plentiful that Taco Bell, just wasn't seasoned.
Also when talking about franchises that tried to make it in Atlanta, but didn't - don't forget Fatburger. I loved them out in LA - but it just wasn't the same here.
@anon 8:47, You might want to reconsider your diet and eating habits.
Why would anyone need to call anyone? Just text or throw a rock with a note through the window.
Ooo! Super Chix!! Great idea.
Hey Anonymous at 10:41, you and your family should move to Hades.
Del Taco was good in the 80s/90s, but when they came back, I was so disappointed. There burritos were the best back in the day, but I was hard pressed to find anything good on their new menu.
Better have your menu and processes built to work w the Atlanta “labor” market.
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