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.
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