(Lake Forest, CA) March 3, 2008 -- For years, when consumers in the greater South Bend area had a taste for tacos, they had only one option. But now the area is the site for what could become the next "taco war" - a battle for supremacy among the biggest players in the Mexican fast-food niche. On Monday, March 3, Del Taco franchisee Michiana Hospitality Corp. will open its first Del Taco and the first in the state of Indiana.



Located at 221 West Day Road in Mishawaka, the 2,500 square foot restaurant will employ about 60 people. This is the first of three restaurants planned by Michiana Hospitality.



California-based Del Taco is the nation's No. 2 Mexican quick-service chain. With a varied menu of Mexican items and American favorites, Del Taco makes all menu items to order using fresh ingredients including freshly graded cheddar cheese, hand-made salsa, lard-free beans made from scratch and chicken grilled every hour. Del Taco serves more than 3.5 million customers each week.



Chris Endres, President of Michiana Hospitality said he and business partner Pete Taddeo chose Del Taco as their newest restaurant development because Del Taco is a powerful national brand with the highest sales volume of any Mexican quick-service restaurant. Del Taco's average unit volume of nearly $1.2 million is significantly higher than the No. 1 chain in its category.



Steve Richardson, Vice President at Michiana Hospitality said "We've long had only one major player in this category and we think there's a market for another - especially one of the caliber of Del Taco, We found Del Taco to be better and different from anything else out there. We think lovers of fast-food, especially of the Mexican variety, will find that Del Taco is better and different from anything else that's available."



For more than 40 years, Del Taco has been offering menu items that appeal to a broad range of tastes with a strong emphasis on quality and value. The menu includes Mexican offerings of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos as well as American favorites like hamburgers, fries and milk shakes. Each item is made to order with quality ingredients including lard-free beans made from scratch daily, real cheddar cheese grated on site, chicken grilled fresh every hour, hand-made salsa and fresh produce.



Founded in 1964, Del Taco operates or franchises more than 500 restaurants in 15 states. Del Taco offers a full range of made-to-order Mexican items such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas and American favorites including cooked-to-order burgers, fries and shakes. Del Taco uses fresh ingredients including hand-made salsa, fresh produce, freshly grated cheddar cheese, chicken grilled every hour and lard-free beans made from scratch.



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