



The first Mexican fast food chain to offer plant-based Beyond Meat® taco options expands test further in Southern California

Lake Forest, CA (RestaurantNews.com) Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: TACO), the nation’s second leading Mexican quick service restaurant,* today announced the expansion of its Beyond Tacos test to San Diego. Beginning Thursday, December 13th, Del Taco, the first Mexican fast food chain to offer Beyond Meat’s plant-based protein option, will be testing Beyond Tacos – made with Del Taco’s seasoned Beyond Meat recipe – at 16 locations in San Diego, and five in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.**

“With a growing demand for vegan and vegetarian options among our guests, we saw an opportunity within the space to partner with Beyond Meat to develop a proprietary blend of seasoned, 100 percent plant-based meat,” said John Cappasola, President and Chief Executive Officer of Del Taco. “After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans during our pilot test in Los Angeles, it only made sense to introduce our Beyond Tacos to a larger SoCal community.”

Guests in the test cities can now try one of the brand’s new Beyond Tacos which offer the same amount of protein and flavor as seasoned beef, but are made with 100 percent plant-based protein. Beyond Meat is also being offered as a substitute for any protein in existing Del Taco menu items, such as burritos, nachos and fries.

Beyond Avocado Taco (vegan) : Seasoned Beyond Meat plant-based crumbles, hand-sliced avocado, crisp lettuce and fresh diced tomatoes in a crunchy shell.

: Seasoned Beyond Meat plant-based crumbles, hand-sliced avocado, crisp lettuce and fresh diced tomatoes in a crunchy shell. Beyond Taco (vegetarian): Seasoned Beyond Meat plant-based crumbles, hand-grated cheddar cheese, crisp lettuce and fresh diced tomatoes in a crunchy shell.

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to elevate our menu, and are excited to offer this plant-based alternative to even more of our fans – whether they are vegan, vegetarian or just looking to switch things up – without sacrificing quality and taste,” Cappasola added. “If our San Diego test is successful, we look forward to potentially expanding our Beyond Tacos test even further in the near future.”

To learn more about Del Taco’s Beyond Meat test, and to find a list of participating locations, please visit www.deltaco.com/beyond.

*By number of units

**Price and participation may vary.

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, Celebrating the Hardest Working Hands in Fast Food, further communicates Del Taco’s commitment to restaurant-level team members that provide 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 560 restaurants across 14 states. For more information, visit www.deltaco.com.

Media Contact:

Lauren Jacobson

Media Relations for Del Taco

ljacobson@canvasblue.com

