Dive Brief:
- Del Taco has partnered with ezCater to expand its catering business, the companies said in a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- About 250 Del Taco restaurants are currently on ezCater with the remaining locations to be phased onto the platform through 2026. Del Taco had over 580 restaurants as of the end of fiscal Q3 2025.
- The partnership could help Del Taco boost brand awareness and same-store sales, which fell 2.6% during the second quarter.
Dive Insight:
The addition of this marketing channel will help introduce the brand to “high-value customers while driving incremental revenue,” the press release said. EzCater data shows that 70% of employees who try a restaurant at work will try it again on their own. Other chains, including Panera, Bojangles, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Habit Burger, joined the platform within the past few years to grow catering, which has expanded significantly as more employees return to the office.
Sarah McAloon, interim brand president at Del Taco, said this will help drive trial and create more loyal customers.
“The partnership enables Del Taco to reach ezCater’s nationwide network of workplaces and scale catering operations efficiently,” the press release said.
The catering menu offers taco kits, burrito boxes and individual meals. Customers can access the catering menu from Del Taco’s website, which redirects to ezCater. Local delivery partners are then dispatched by ezCater to deliver the orders.
Catering could help grow the chain’s digital mix, which made up 20% of systemwide sales during fiscal Q3 2025, and includes kiosks, third-party delivery and mobile orders, CFO Dawn Hooper said in a recent earnings call. Del Taco recently installed kiosks across its company-owned restaurants and franchisees are in the process of adding them as well.
