LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (“Del Taco” or the “Company”), (NASDAQ: TACO), the second largest Mexican-American quick service restaurant chain by units in the United States, today announced that Tim Hackbardt has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer.
Mr. Hackbardt is a restaurant industry veteran with over 27 years of experience and has led or advised numerous restaurant chains as a marketing executive and brand consultant across the quick-service, fast-casual, family dining, casual and polished-casual categories. Among these brands are BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Rubio’s, Pieology, Steak ‘n Shake, Johnny Rockets, and Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. He has a proven track record of driving sales and traffic profitably while building strong differentiated brands.
Mr. Hackbardt’s experience also includes four years (1999-2003) leading marketing for Del Taco. During this time, the Company had some of its most successful years, setting records across many financial and brand metrics, including over 20% comparable restaurant sales growth during his tenure. He has also consulted with Del Taco on a range of projects from marketing technology to new prototype design over the past five years.
John D. Cappasola, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Del Taco, commented, “We are pleased that Tim has rejoined Del Taco permanently as our Chief Marketing Officer. Over the last three decades, he has successfully driven strategies and innovation to attain one of the best track records in the industry for consistent, long-term performance. Tim also has a deep, hands-on appreciation of Del Taco’s differentiated QSR+ positioning and of the importance of being nimble. I am confident that he will be a tremendous asset to our Company.”
Tim Hackbardt, Chief Marketing Officer of Del Taco, added, “I am excited to be returning to Del Taco on a fulltime basis and to be resuming my work with the Company’s talented management team. We have an incredible opportunity to take our distinct platform of fresh food, value, and convenience to build unique experiences that will drive strong consumer loyalty and increased visit frequency. I look forward to helping Del Taco reach new levels of growth and market share.”
Mr. Hackbardt is a graduate of Central Michigan University with a BAA in Broadcast & Cinematic Arts.
About Del Taco Restaurants, Inc.
Del Taco (NASDAQ: TACO) offers a unique variety of both Mexican and American favorites such as burritos and fries, prepared fresh in every restaurant's working kitchen with the value and convenience of a drive-thru. Del Taco's menu items taste better because they are made with quality ingredients like fresh grilled chicken and carne asada steak, hand-sliced avocado, hand-grated cheddar cheese, slow-cooked beans made from scratch, and creamy Queso Blanco. The brand's campaign further communicates Del Taco's commitment to providing guests with the best quality and value for their money through cooking, chopping, shredding and grilling menu items from scratch. Founded in 1964, today Del Taco serves more than three million guests each week at its more than 580 restaurants across 15 states. For more information, visit www.deltaco.com.