---
title: "DRG added 33 new Taco Bell locations"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/2d8161da-d64b-48a4-9878-3bbc3d8c42f7
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/drg_added_33_new_taco_bell_locations.html
author: "M. Scott Morris"
category: "Mexican"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Mexican"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2024-02-07T08:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T20:01:08.947Z
image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/8288_plate.jpg
---

# DRG added 33 new Taco Bell locations

**TL;DR:** Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) added 33 new Taco Bell locations to its portfolio in 2023, including acquisitions and new store openings. The company now has over 360 restaurants and is a top 10 Taco Bell franchisee in the US.

*By M. Scott Morris, originally published in Franchising.com on 2024-02-07. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/drg_added_33_new_taco_bell_locations.html).*

## Story

Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG), a QSR franchisee with more than 360 restaurants, added 33 new Taco Bell restaurants to its portfolio in 2023. The increase included acquisitions and the opening of eight new stores. "Our unwavering commitment to innovation and our dedication to enhancing the customer and employee experience have been pivotal to our extraordinary growth," said S.

G. Ellison, president and CEO of DRG. The expansion into new markets remains a top priority for DRG.

The company added 25 restaurants in the San Diego and Riverside Counties and ranked among the top 10 biggest Taco Bell franchisees in the U.S. based on restaurant count.

Notable openings in 2023 include DRG's eighth Taco Bell Cantina in San Jose, a state-of-the-art "ghost kitchen" equipped with food-delivery robots in San Francisco, and the first drive-thru-only mobile and delivery Taco Bell in Missouri. DRG participated in a collaboration with Taco Bell that encourages 100% of dining room orders to be placed via kiosks. This initiative enhances convenience for both customers and employees.

Additionally, DRG is investing in sustainable practices, including solar power and electric vehicle charging stations. Two stations are scheduled to open this year in Northern California, including an all-electric Taco Bell with a goal of a net-zero energy footprint.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- Taco Bell (company)
- Multi-Unit (company)
- M. Scott Morris (person)
- restaurant technology (topic)
- San Diego (location)
- Riverside (location)
- Diversified Restaurant Group (company)
- sustainability initiatives (topic)
- taco bell franchisee (topic)

---
Originally reported by M. Scott Morris, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/drg_added_33_new_taco_bell_locations.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/2d8161da-d64b-48a4-9878-3bbc3d8c42f7).