Finally Del Taco Came Back

It has been a long wait for so many of us in the South, especially in the Atlanta are. Taco nights featuring real "Del Beef", beans that actually taste like beans and cheap California-style Mexican food that actually is fit to eat had been teasing the taste buds of everyone who remembered them. In fact, it took 20 years for Del Taco to really return since the sale of the East Coast units operated by franchisee WR Grace to Taco Bell in 1992. Many of us have heard the rumors, but those failed to come to fruition. Many of us were also highly disappointed with the low quality of the Del Taco/Mrs. Winners combination units that came and fizzled in the 1995-2003 period. Not only did this damage Del Taco's image in Georgia, but it nearly put Mrs. Winners out of business.

The story of Del Taco was complex since it arrived in a very big way in 1980. While these restaurants were extremely popular, the problems started when the original company stupidly sold the rights to the name in the late 70's, leading to a big mess and a very troubled company in the early 1990's. This is how Del Taco was split into two completely different companies operating the same concept: the western one that is alive and well today and the eastern one owned by WR Grace: the one that ran the Georgia units. The eastern division also had the less common "Taco Villa". Not only did WR Grace sell out those units to what I view is far inferior Taco Bell, but many of those never actually opened as a Taco Bell due to an asbestos issue with all the buildings.

Del Taco Location in former Fazoli's in Snellville, GA. The first photo is of the Kennesaw, GA location prior to opening.

Del Taco drive-thru sign for curiosity at the Snellville, GA location.

Today, the landscape of North Georgia is littered with former Del Taco locations. One in Rome is now a Bojangles. The one in Cartersville is now a Dairy Queen. Krystal took the Acworth and Canton locations. Others have been many independent concepts. I covered the one in Cedartown awhile back that was completely abandoned (and well-preserved). These forgotten locations were not lost on the company, either, as they have made very real strides to come back to the Southeast, and this time they are not riding on the whims of franchisees to do so.

Former Del Taco in Boiling Springs, SC outside of Spartanburg. This photo was taken on June 15, 2010.

Here is a view of the building itself. Note the logo has changed somewhat since this store opened in 2009 (and closed in 2011). Photo taken June 15, 2010.

When Del Taco left the East Coast in 2003, the very last location to leave was a store in St. Simons Island, GA. This location was the only one at that point not to be a co-branded concept, and still sported the WR Grace look. When it closed, the location was replaced with a Chick-Fil-A. In 2009, franchisees John Webber and Rusty Acker were the first to bring Del Taco back, opening a location in Boiling Springs, SC along Hwy 9 outside of Spartanburg. I created a post documenting this hoping to help them promote the location. As the lone wolf in the Taco Bell wilderness, the location did well but the franchisees decided to pull up stakes and closed about a year ago. Situations like this are why Del Taco opted to reopen in Atlanta with company-owned stores. Del Taco is still seeking to return to the Spartanburg Market since that location closed.

Former first generation East Coast Del Taco in Cedartown, GA. This was the only location to remain closed years after it was abandoned in 1992. Photo taken in May 3, 2008.

While the restaurants were far darker, I found the old design more authentic and inviting than the modern concept.

Before the Boiling Springs store opened, Del Taco tried another failed co-branding experiment partnering with Captain D's in Nashville. The locations closed as quickly as they arrived, mostly due to the company seeking to permanently end co-branding concepts after the RTM disaster. Del Taco also opened locations in the Orlando market around this time as well. In addition, a franchisee in Douglasville, GA also announced a future Del Taco location that ultimately never came to fruition.

The Del Taco sign and look sported here was actually not the original look when they arrived in 1980. The original stores were lighter and brighter like they are now. This was a late 1980's redesign. The St. Simons Island, GA location was the last store open to have this look.

Last view of the old, unmodified Del Taco in Cedartown.

Now, after some rocky years financially and many setbacks, Del Taco has finally gotten serious about a return to the Southeast. Their Atlanta return came this February, and it is an ambitious one with 60 planned locations in Atlanta and Athens as well as a return to Macon. So far, Del Taco has opened two locations in the Atlanta market. Their first in Snellville was also, unfortunately, the last remaining Atlanta-area Fazoli's. The Kennesaw location, however, is brand new opening May 9th this year in a recently built-up section along Chastain Road between I-75 and I-575. Oddly, Taco Bell is opening in the former Del Taco/Mrs. Winners combination nearby. Del Taco has also purchased one of the former El Pollo Loco locations on Cobb Parkway in Smyrna and is in the process of converting it. Units in Woodstock and eastern Cobb County are also in the works.

Del Taco taking shape in the former El Pollo Loco location in Smyrna. This was one of my favorite places to eat, but Del Taco definitely tastes better and has more to offer. I once said that I wished that was a Del Taco instead. I guess I'm getting my wish.

If Del Taco meets their 60 store goal is anyone's guess, but the current results are promising. The Snellville location met and exceeded sales goals, and the Kennesaw location draws a regular crowd. Their quality is also excellent, and hopefully will stay that way. I also noted there are plans with a franchisee to expand in the Charlotte market. Franchisee Jeffrey Marx owns the Rock Hill, SC location, and he has plans to expand elsewhere in the Charlotte market eventually. My best guess is that the chance of massive expansion in the Southeast will depend first on how well Del Taco gets re-established in the Atlanta market. Should Taco Bell make a run for the border this time?

NOTE: This is an update of a post written May 29, 2009 about the bumpy road Del Taco has had in the Southeast, and also celebrating their return to Atlanta.

Rock Hill Galleria: Rock Hill, SC

Last year, I covered a mall known as Houston County Galleria.  The Houston Galleria is a struggling mall with otherwise solid anchor tenants that effectively trashed a nearby successful mall overnight while never actually truly succeeding in its own right.  The mall was also built by Zamias Enterprises with a rather lackluster track record of success in their 90's mall portfolio.  The story is similar with Rock Hill Galleria, but the situation is a little different. The anchor lineup, for one, has been a bit more volatile and Rock Hill Galleria, while troubled, is definitely more successful.  As a sister mall to the Houston County mall, however, it is interesting to note the similarities and differences, and it is also important to note the retail scene around it, which is quite different, as well as a better location (conveniently right off I-77).

Rock Hill Galleria arrived on the scene in 1991 featuring an eclectic anchor tenant line-up of Belk, JCPenney, Phar-Mor, Sears and Wal-Mart.  Of all the original anchors, only Phar-Mor is not in the mall anymore so on the surface it appears this would be a very successful mall much in the case of my previous example.  The problems are two-fold: management problems and a location that was placed too close to superior competition.  Also built by Zamias, the mall completely killed the city's older mall known as Rock Hill Mall by taking all of its anchors: Belk, Sears and JCPenney.  Labelscar covered this mall through a local contributor.  Unlike in the case in Houston County, GA, though, the older mall did not survive re-purposed like Houston Mall did...it died completely in 1992 and was abandoned in the late 90's.  By 2007, that mall was demolished for a lifestyle center-type development that has also struggled to attract tenants.

The lead-in and this photo show that an elaborate ceiling treatment can go a long way to create an attractive ambience in a mall.  I have nothing to complain about here except the lack of an indoor jungle below to compliment it.  Photos by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Miscellaneous details including pretty nice flooring.  By the 90's, malls had come a long way from the standard concrete flooring of the 60's.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Of course, some of the architecture is a bit dubious.  Apparently the architect was enjoying some peppermint Life Savers when he was somehow inspired to hang these ring-shaped light fixture thingies from the ceiling.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Life Saver row could use some planters, though...it still looks a little cold.  I'm sure they were saving that space for kiosks that never came.  Instead of the Dead Sea (lotion) how about the Indoor Sea (water feature)?  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

One thing I can say for Zamias-built malls: they are neither ugly nor overly cheap looking.  They are very tasteful, but just seemed to falter on management, location and even size.  Note that these are all one-level malls built too close to larger two-level malls.  In the former case, it was now-struggling Macon Mall and in the latter case it is Carolina Place Mall.  Nearly every mall Zamias built was plagued with problems before they were even opened, and apparently construction was also delayed on the previous Zamias mall I covered.  These malls also were very anchor-heavy right as department stores were in consolidation and the mall craze was winding down, so timing worked against them as well.  The fact they killed older, more established malls also did not help their public reputation, similar to what happened with Crown America (Hess's)-owned malls.

Of course, being so close to Charlotte, Belk is a standard feature.  That's Belk Belk, too.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I wonder what will happen to this Sears if the chain goes belly up.  Sharing a mall with Wal-Mart, this location is bound to be struggling.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Looking down the JCPenney wing toward JCPenney.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This JCPenney entrance is so 90's I feel like I'm 14 years old again in a flannel shirt and bowl cut with some STP song stuck in my head looking at it.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

While the story of Rock Hill Mall is long passed, the story of Rock Hill Galleria continues on.  In all, it is a reasonably attractive mall, though somewhat less interesting architecturally than its Georgia cousin.  At one level, the mall also has a tough time competing with very popular Carolina Place Mall further north: a two level mall that continues to be one of Charlotte's premier shopping malls only 15 miles away.  The distance is far enough to keep the mall viable but close enough for frustrated shoppers to take the longer drive for better stores.  This might explain why the mall keeps Belk, Sears and JCPenney along with a few popular chain stores while still being riddled with vacancies.

Once upon a time, Wal-Mart actually opened into this mall.  Then they built a Supercenter and shut themselves off from the mall.  None of the other discount stores ever acted this way...in fact, they embraced the mall as an extension of their business!!  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Pharmor is phar gone here in this pic, though it did manage to revive as the ill-fated Steve & Barry's University Sportswear up to 2009.  Was Drug Emporium ever here?  They took over many of the Pharmor locations.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I guess "Famous Labels" did not successfully hide that they were really "Knockoffs 'R' Us".  In all seriousness, this was obviously a weak attempt to fill the void left by Goody's, which also departed in 2009 after arriving in 1998.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This image shows a relatively healthy part of the mall with Rock Hill Mall's logo in the background.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Aside from the three major department stores, the other anchors have been more volatile.  Phar-Mor, for one, failed as a chain in 1992.  It was briefly filled by Brendle's Catalog Showroom in 1995-1996, but otherwise was empty until it was finally filled in 2003 by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, but this chain itself proved to be a dead mall filler and shoppers apparently concurred as the chain folded in 2008.  Goody's came later, adding onto the mall in 1998 but also closing in 2009 with "Famous Labels" briefly taking the space before tanking as well.  Lastly, Wal-Mart amazingly did not leave the mall, actually upgrading their store at the mall into a Supercenter in 2000.  Nevertheless, Wal-Mart has consistently proven a poor mall anchor and the other anchors clearly did not benefit from the mall nor add anything to it.  Such junior anchors today would need to be filled by stores like Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods to actually compliment the mall. 

Sorry, the GPS won't help you here.  If you end up falling in the dumpster next to the loading dock on your way from Belk to Sears, it's not our problem.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011. 

Belk's look is more dazzling than the simple arches but a little weird.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Sears here looks about like all the others built in that time period.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

I kinda dig this JCPenney entrance here...it reminds me a bit of a throne.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Rock Hill Galleria is the typical example of a 90's mall born with bad karma.  The mall was clearly built with the intent on "upgrading" the shopping experience.  "Upgrading" basically meant that they fully intended to kill that dated, smaller, darker mall on the other side of town, thus destroying viable real-estate that was realistically more right-sized for the market.  However, Rock Hill Mall was facing death anyway: the mall would have had significant trouble competing with Carolina Place, but the double trouble that came from two brand new malls was far more than the 1960's timepiece could endure. Rock Hill Galleria has endured more due to the growth in the area, but it still continues to struggle.  Rock Hill Galleria also saw some change in ownership since it was built.  Zamias finally gave up the mall in 2004, selling it to General Growth Properties.  However, General Growth apparently did not see the mall as enough of an asset to keep, selling it again to Cypress Equities a few months later.  Cypress still owns the mall, but has Jones Lang LaSalle manage the mall.

From this end, I am not impressed.  I am assuming this is close to the Wal-Mart non-mall entrance.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

This I really do like.  I am guessing this opens to the wing with the tragic food court that is so pathetic even Subway snubbed it.  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Nothing more at Pharmor.  If Steve & Barry couldn't pull it off, would Dick be interested?  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

Missing labels at Famous Labels, originally Goody's, which closed in 2009.  I could see at least a Books-A-Million here, but Shoe Show is more likely (boring).  Photo by Dustin Ransdell taken June 15, 2011.

The future of Rock Hill Galleria is tough to predict.  Without any big name players interested in the mall such as Simon, it will definitely have more trouble attracting big name tenants, but its strength is in its current department store anchors and market, which is still growing even during a recession.  In order for the mall to catch up to its competition in Pineville, the mall will need to broaden and upscale its offerings, which will be hard to do with a one-level mall competing with a two level mall while also considerably further from Uptown Charlotte.

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While I do not put this mall on a death watch at this point, I will definitely say that further growth in the area is needed to make it competitive.  I will also say that the mall needs to find anchors and tenants that make shoppers see the mall as an alternative to Carolina Place.  Basically, the mall should be good enough they will not need to drive out out of their way to shop at the other mall all the time.  The ways I see this is possible is to bring in another department store such as Dillard's or Macy's (most likely in the place of Sears eventually), expand the mall, renovate the mall to make it extra showy and bringing in big box anchors such as the fore-mentioned Dicks's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Petsmart, Barnes & Noble and Target.  Wal-Mart is also not likely helping the mall and could possibly be encouraged to relocate, freeing the space for anchors like the ones i mentioned.  What the mall may not bring in with higher end merchandise it can make up with diverse, fun store offerings to provide a more all-in-one experience.  This will help to fill in the dark stores within and make it more competitive.  As for right now, Rock Hill Galleria is still a moderately successful mall, but it will have to strive to better market itself if there is ever any hope the public will view it as a true shopping destination.

Monroe Mall: Monroe, NC

While nothing truly spectacular, Monroe Mall still holds its own in Charlotte retail.  Now located in Charlotte's metropolitan area, the mall is located just far enough from other malls in the region to remain marginally successful.  However, the mall is by no means a draw for the rest of the Charlotte region primarily drawing mainly from residents living in or near Union County and residents of nearby Charlotte suburbs still finding the mall convenient.  If closer to Charlotte, the mall would probably be on a death watch, but at around 25 miles from Uptown Charlotte, it stays comfortably far enough away with the added benefit of not being located on an interstate meaning that the drive to other malls in the region is still a major ordeal with congestion on U.S. 74.

Monroe Mall is also a very small, dark and basic mall for a small city in the South featuring the typical roster of Belk, JCPenney and Sears although this anchor line-up in the past was far more interesting than today.  At one point the mall was truly endangered as new retail projects in the sprawling southeastern suburbs threatened the mall, but mishaps coupled with a weak economy along the way have protected it for the near future.  The mall's recent renovation coupled with Belk's major expansion have also shown that the 3 anchors' commitment to the mall helps.

Despite its small size, there is much spooky about this mall.  I am unsure of what this entrance is, though.  The first photos is a photo in the middle of the mall showing how dark it is.  Typical of malls in that period, little natural light was planned in the design.  Photos by Mike Kalasnik.

Another mystery shop sitting vacant in a cove next to Sears.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

A children's play area...a creative, while very non-lucrative way to fill a void.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

JCPenney greets shoppers with a dark glass mall entrance typical of the era.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Another dark shop near center court.  The lack of many trendy shops will be the biggest factor in its eventual demise.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Next to Belk is this greenhouse fronted store.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Monroe Mall first opened in August 1979 as a somewhat lower-end shopping mall featuring the same Belk and JCPenney, but the other two anchors were quite different with Woolco forming the southeast end and regional player The Collins Company built in on the northeast as a junior anchor.  The most significant anchor, however, is Belk.  Why this is important is that this is where Belk got started opening a store in Monroe in 1888.  This same store is the one that relocated to the mall from downtown when the mall opened.  As the story goes, Belk as a company moved Uptown literally by snatching up Charlotte's Efird's Department Store, and the rest is history.  As to the mall, the mall would certainly be strange if it lacked a Belk, but at the same time it was sad to see the very first store downtown close down because of the mall.

Here is a brighter wing of the mall looking dead on the right, alive on the left.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

More of the same.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Sears mall entrance originally opened to Woolco and, for awhile, Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart always seems to be a VERY bad anchor for malls, but I never seem to understand why.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Belk here sports a new logo on one of their otherwise coolest 70's designs...but something is sadly missing.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

A year before, this is how it looked.  Note the brassy overhang that was removed.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken May 2010.

Belk Kids, now Belk Children since the logo change.  I guess "Kids" did not sound very professional.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken May 2010.

Two of the original anchors did not last very long after the mall opened.  Woolco folded in 1983 leaving a dead anchor for several years and The Collins Company sold out to Peeble's in 1984.  Woolco would eventually be filled by Wal-Mart, arriving in 1986 in their expansion strategy in the state.  Nothing else drastic happened until 1998 when Wal-Mart decided it was time to trade up to a Super Center, leaving the mall in 1998.  Once again, the former Woolco found itself vacant until Sears finally took over the spot, opening at the beginning of March 2001.  However, despite all of these anchor changes, the mall never underwent a single expansion in that entire period.  Peeble's, however, appears to have made the mall a little smaller leaving the mall sometime after 2006.  Today that location is filled by Interior Solutions.

JCPenney here features one of its stores from its ugliest era.  While outlandish throughout the 70's, this is just plain as dirt.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Around the back side of the mall is this spooky looking mall entrance that was tempered by the addition of the new mall logo.   Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 6, 2011.

Here is another angle of that same mall entrance.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Located just east of Sears is this empty store.  It is unclear what this was, but it appears to have been a former grocery store of some kind, probably Winn-Dixie or Food Lion.  It last operated as Big Lots closing this past year.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

A high resolution map image is provided here of the mall's directory.  Sans vacancies, it's a pretty typical small town mall now in an increasingly tough position.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

A look along the Sears wing.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011

In 2011, Monroe Mall has the potential to grow, but it seems to be continuing the organic route partly due to the relatively limited footprint the mall is on...a typical problem for the oldest malls in the state.  The only expansion at the mall that has taken place is the new addition to Belk underway.  Coupled with this is a renovation of the mall completed in 2010.  Despite these changes, competition from Charlotte does continue to have an effect on the mall.  Mall offerings remain limited, and vacancies are a problem in the 32 year old mall.  Still, it could be far worse.  Belk's expansion shows that there is still plenty of faith in the mall even with a struggling mall and economy.

Sears is here to inform you that they are far too cheap to make an old Wal-Mart not look like one.  You could just change the sign out front to "Goodwill" and nobody would know the difference.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Luckily, Belk was captured prior to its remodel on the outside in these images. This is one of my very favorite late 70's designs Belk used although the 90's teal paint-over was very inappropriate..  You can almost hear The Eagles song "I Can't Tell You Why" if you stare at this long enough.  Unfortunately this has now been torn off in the remodel and expansion.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here, we see new tacked onto the old.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here, a chained off former outside entrance now peers into the new part.  I assume Belk Kids, Children, Young'ins, whatever will probably move into this space when completed.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Here's the Belk store for the little whippersnappers for now.  Photo by digitalsky taken May 7, 2011.

Monroe Mall could have been headed in a very different direction, though, if a planned regional mall had opened to the northwest.  Plans were set in the middle of the last decade to build an enclosed shopping mall where U.S. 74 meets I-485, and plans remain in the works to build a lifestyle center two exits north on I-485 known as the Bridges at Mint Hill.  I-485 has definitely not been a help to the mall as the city was formerly much more isolated from Charlotte, but now traffic moves more freely in the area with once far-removed Carolina Place Mall now a much faster drive down the interstate, which opened a decade ago.  While I-485 pulls enough on the mall, a new regional mall at the fore mentioned location would have devastated the aging mall, pulling away all the anchors and leaving the mall deserted.  Economic-influenced delays coupled with General Growth's bankruptcy have combined to stall both projects, so Monroe Mall at least for now is able to survive.

These old "Open Tonight Until X" should make anyone wax nostalgic.  The time was usually lit up as well.  Some old photos I saw showed a Loveman's in Birmingham having one of these classy features, too.  Now we just get the dorky door stickers.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Ongoing construction on the Belk store.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Belk here features its "new" look.  Belk still builds attractive stores, but this one doesn't hold a candle to the older look.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Close-up of the Belk entrance.  At least it has brick and metal instead of just a blob of stucco.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Belk is here to inform you they are still open, but no longer cool.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Pathetic, just pathetic.  Photo by Mike Kalasnik taken June 5, 2011.

Monroe Mall's good luck, though, should not mean they should relax and forget about what almost happened.  It would be wise for the owners to consider expanding the mall, luring in a new, solid anchor such as Dillard's or a big box anchor to broaden the mall's appeal.  Obviously land issues would make this difficult, but at the same time not impossible with most likely expansion through the existing Sears.  Located a hair from Charlotte's most sprawling suburbs, the mall still has a fighting chance, but not for long.  As the smallest and oldest operating mall on the eastern side of Charlotte, it is important to consider that a few cosmetic renovations will not keep the mall competitive in the long term especially with the amount of vacancies it has.  With areas between Monroe and I-485 prime for a huge retail expansion, when this growth comes it can work either as a compliment or detriment to the mall.  So far, though, the mall has been pretty lucky.

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A Google Maps image of the mall.  On street view, you can see how the mall looked outside before the last renovation.

Here is a video taken in 2010 by Mike Kalasnik of the mall prior to the Belk renovation and with Big Lots operating a store in the now vacant store pictured above.