Del Taco is testing family meal kits at 11 restaurants in the Inland Empire, coincidentally the region where the fast food chain got its start in the 1950s.

The kits serve four to five people and include grilled chicken, seasoned beef or both; 12 warm flour tortillas; grated cheddar cheese; beans; cilantro lime rice; pico de gallo; salsa; Del Taco’s secret sauce; and napkins, spoons and forks. The price is $21.99.

Del Taco, now based in Lake Forest, had already been considering meal kits, according to Kevin Pope, vice president of operations innovation. But the outbreak of the novel coronavirus created some urgency as it shifted all dining to home dining.

Pope, who lives in the Riverside area, said he got a Saturday morning call early in the outbreak from chief marketing officer Tim Hackbardt, who lives in San Diego. They decided family meals were the right response to the times and met that afternoon in Murrieta to work out the details.

“We spent about 2 1/2 hours in a live kitchen figuring it out. We took pictures with his phone. Those became the marketing pictures. We had a complete plan. We went live in a Corona restaurant the following Thursday.

“We have never done anything this fast. It was really quite exhilarating.”

Pope said restaurants already stock everything they need to launch.

Most of the test sites are within driving distance of Pope’s house.

“I’ll be able to get deliveries from seven different restaurants at my door to verify execution, quality, speed, all the things we want to look at.”

The next step after the tests is rolling out the kits nationwide. Restaurants already stock everything they will need to do it, Pope said.

“Look at what you have. The answer might be in front of you.”

Test locations

Colton: 834 W Valley Blvd., 1010 E. Washington St.

Loma Linda: 24898 Redlands Blvd.

Redlands: 1624 W Redlands Blvd.

Riverside: 6333 Riverside Ave.; 1255 University Ave.; 4407 Brockton Ave.; 3487 Arlington Ave.; 1177 W. La Cadena Drive

San Bernardino: 2665 S Waterman Ave.; 272 E. 40th St.