TL;DR
Del Taco has a new owner after being acquired from Jack in the Box by Yadav, a longtime franchisee. Yadav has made changes to the brand, including bringing back former executives like Chillingworth, the chain's chief marketing officer.
What has happened with Del Taco since its acquisition?
Yadav is a longtime franchisee who has gotten into the business of buying brands lately and he acquired Del Taco from Jack in the Box last year. He also participated in the Denny’s acquisition.
Chillingworth is the chain’s chief marketing officer. Yadav brought him on board as part of a group of the brand’s former executives who were brought back to turn the chain around.
They talk about the changes they’ve made with Del Taco and why the brand struggled under Jack in the Box’s ownership. We talk about the company’s plans for expansion and franchising and a recent opening of an especially strong location. We also ask Yadav about his experience buying brands and what makes it work.
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In this story
This story was originally published in Restaurant Business on October 7, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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