Del Taco vs Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Del Taco vs Chipotle Mexican Grill including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Del Taco Franchise	Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise
Investment	$859,700 - $2,116,500	N/A
Franchise Fee	$35,000	N/A
Royalty Fee	5%	-
Advertising Fee	4%	-
Year Founded	1964	1993
Year Franchised	1967	-
Term Of Agreement	20 years	-
Term Of Agreement	20 years	-
Renewal Fee	$25K	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Del Taco Franchise	Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise
Experience	Del Taco is seeking passionate candidates who are committed to outstanding customer service to join us as we rapidly expand across the country. Our ideal franchisee is an experienced restaurant operator or an investor who will partner with an experienced operator and is committed to developing at least two restaurants over time.	-
Financing Options
	Del Taco Franchise	Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/Yes	-/-
Start-up Costs	No/Yes	-/-
Equipment	No/Yes	-/-
Inventory	No/Yes	-/-
Receivables	No/Yes	-/-
Payroll	No/Yes	-/-
Training & Support
	Del Taco Franchise	Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise
Training	Our leadership team, brand legacy and proven business model offer our franchisees the personal support, systems and resources needed to help establish manage and grow their business. From referring financing sources, site selection assistance and construction oversight to extensive hands-on management and crew training, new store opening support and robust marketing materials, our assistance doesn’t end when you open your doors. On-The-Job Training: 400 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours Additional Training: At training store	-
Support	Our professional and experienced support team provides: Ongoing management/crew training and manuals State-of-the-art POS systems to help franchisees track business indicators 24-hour technical support help desk and customer comment line Local store marketing toolbox, including community-based programs Effective advertising materials and market research Assistance from a dedicated Franchise Business Consultant and Franchise Marketing Manager Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform	-
Marketing	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app	-
Operations	Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 50 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (35% of current franchisees are owner/operators)	-
Expansion Plans
	Del Taco Franchise	Chipotle Mexican Grill Franchise
US Expansion	No	-
Canada Expansion	No	No
International Expansion	No	No

Company Overviews

About Del Taco

Ed Hackbarth opened the first Del Taco restaurant in Barstow, California, in 1964. A few months later, he added a second restaurant with a drive-thru window in Corona, California. Locations eventually spread across California and many parts of the United States. Del Taco restaurants offer items including a value menu of tacos, burritos and nachos priced under $1, a Macho menu of large burritos, nachos and drinks, and an American menu featuring hamburgers, French Fries and shakes.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

We have been informed by Chipotle that they are Currently Not Seeking Franchisees

Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle Mexican Grill is a Colorado-based chain of restaurants specializing in gourmet burritos and tacos. It is famous for its chunky guacamole, for its large burritos, and for being one of the first successful chains in the newer category of fast-casual dining establishment. Chipotle has an emphasis on quality, which results in slightly higher prices than other traditional fast food chains. Our menu is intentionally simple. By focusing on just a few menu items, we can concentrate our effort on doing a few things very well. We believe that by focusing on the details of quality, service and the Chipotle experience, we'll be able to bring great food and our vision to new customers and keep existing customers coming back. We believe that consumers' increasing concern about the food they eat will foster demand for higher-quality foods. We believe this, in turn, will attract the interest and capital investment of larger farms and suppliers, and help us make our food more accessible, although we'll continue to balance our interest in advancing "food with integrity" with our desire to provide great food at reasonable prices.