Del Taco Lures Customers With More Seafood, Honey Mango Sauce Dishes

Del Taco Restaurants Inc. TACO is expanding its seasonal seafood selection with the debut of the Honey Mango Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Taco and Epic Crispy Fish & Guac Burrito.

What's Happening With Seafood: In a press statement, the company playfully proclaimed the offerings were ideal for "observing the Lenten season or an avid seafood fan."

The Honey Mango Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Taco offers jumbo shrimp, honey mango sauce, crunchy shredded cabbage and handmade pico de gallo wrapped in a warm flour tortilla and served with a fresh-cut lime wedge. The Epic Crispy Fish & Guac Burrito features a beer-battered Alaska pollock, fresh romaine and iceberg lettuce blend, fresh house-made guacamole, fresh diced tomatoes, crispy tortilla strips and creamy avocado Caesar dressing wrapped in a warm, oversized flour tortilla.

"Our guests really go crazy when we bring back Crispy Jumbo Shrimp each year," said Tim Hackbardt, Del Taco's chief marketing officer. "Now that we're adding our hit honey mango sauce as one of the Crispy Jumbo Shrimp flavor options, the taste is even more incredible, and we can't wait for our customers to try it out."

What's Happening With Chicken: The new seafood dishes follow last month's introduction of Del Taco's Honey Mango Crispy Chicken lineup, another seasonal offering consisting of the Honey Mango Crispy Chicken Taco, Honey Mango Three-Piece Crispy Chicken & Churros Box and Epic Honey Mango Crispy Chicken & Bacon Burrito.

What's Happening With The Bottom Line: Founded in 1964, Del Taco operates approximately 600 restaurants featuring Mexican and American cuisine across 16 states.

Last month, the company released its preliminary unaudited fiscal year 2020 sales highlights, which found total revenue of $491.3 million, a 4.2% decrease from the fiscal year 2019, and company-operated restaurant sales of $446.8 million, a 5.7% year-over-year decline. Del Taco attributed this performance to fewer company-operated restaurants open during 2020 as a result of refranchising activity, and company-operated comparable restaurant sales were down by 2.9% year-over-year, while franchised comparable restaurant sales increased 1.4%.

TACO Price Action: Shares traded around $10.27.

(Photo courtesy of Del Taco Restaurants)