The story of Del Taco, first called Casa Del Taco when Ed Hackbarth set his stake in the sand in 1961, doesn’t simply begin; it reveals itself the way desert truths do.
And on that morning, beneath a sky bright enough to feel holy, the Mojave opened its hand and let the future step forward.
Desert Dispatch, Thu, Oct 19, 1961 ·Page 3
On September 16, 1964, Ed Hackbarth and David Jameson opened a small stand called Del Taco in Yermo, California, a lonely outpost along the highway where the wind never quite stops blowing.
After that first day, the till held $169, the equivalent of 900 tacos. Not much by city standards, but out here, in the Mojave, it was enough to spark a fire.
Word traveled the way it always does in the desert: slow at first, then all at once. Soon there were two more Del Tacos in Barstow, another in Needles, and a fifth in Corona, the first to boast a drive‑through window, a frontier innovation that would change the way travelers ate on the run.
Desert Dispatch,Wed, Nov 08, 1961 ·Page 7
A man named Richard “Dick” Naugle rode into the picture next. He’d come to install kitchen equipment to improve efficiency in the Corona store, but what he found impressed him enough to join Hackbarth and Jameson in their growing enterprise.
For those who have never experienced the original Barstow Taco, here it is in its full, delicious, magical glory. If you’re already familiar with this local tomatoey, cheesy, meaty bite from Heaven, you know you want one in your belly again.
Barstow taco, get in my belly!
For a time, the three men pushed the brand forward together, until Naugle eventually split off to start his own outfit, carving his own delectable trail through the Southwest.
According to Dick Naugle’s grandson, Bill Naugle, author of The N Effect, a biography about the elder Naugle, his grandfather “partnered with investors to open a restaurant in Corona, California, called Del Panther. The menu was simple: tacos, tostadas, and hamburgers. He designed the “twin kitchen” concept to handle both Mexican and American food efficiently. The success of Del Panther eventually led to the formation of Del Taco on Grand Avenue in Corona.”
Corporate histories and industry archives all point to when W.R. Grace and Company stepped forward in 1976 and claimed Del Taco’s rising brand. And from that point on, Del Taco lived beneath Grace’s banner for more than a decade. These were Taco Villa–branded stores, not Del Taco–branded.
In February 1989, the two chains met again on the open range. Del Taco merged with 171 Naugle’s restaurants, creating a single, larger force in the fast‑food frontier. In 1992, W.R. Grace sold Del Taco to PepsiCo/Taco Bell.
On April 4, 1992 the Los Angeles Times reported that although they shared the same name, Grace Co. operated its units independently of Costa Mesa-based Del Taco. Officials at Del Taco said the sale would end the name confusion.
By 2000, Del Taco had grown to 372 stores across ten states, and by January 2008, the company celebrated its 500th restaurant in Burbank, California — a long ride from that first dusty counter in Yermo.
A young Ed Hackbarth standing next to the menu of an early Del Taco in the 1960s.
Only three Del Tacos offers Barstow Tacos and you guessed it, they’re all in Barstow: 401 N. First Street, 1310 E. Mountain View Street and 2871 Lenwood Road. Those Hackbarths are geniuses. Savor that little party in your mouth. You won’t find Barstow Tacos anywhere else.
Because they are not bound by current corporate rules, the Barstow Del Taco’s serve exclusive items like the “Bun Taco” and the Barstow Taco and offer more generous meat and cheese portions.
The Del Tacos located just off Route 66 on First Street, and Mountain View are still operated by the Hackbarth family. Ed Hackbarth owns the Lenwood Del Taco. Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre still serves customers at the drive-thru window on Mountain View.
Julie holds the distinction of being the second woman in Bartsow’s history to have held the position of Mayor, from December 2012 to December 2020. Julie’s accolades and awards are numerous.
John contemplated desert life in the shade at the original Del Taco, now called the Burger Den, located in sleepy downtown Yermo.
All Tita had left after a busy summer Saturday were Carne Asada tacos, burritos and strawberry shakes, so we ordered two of everything. Despite the sweltering triple digit temps, it did not disappoint.
By the way, did you know they call burritos “breakfast tacos” in southern Texas? Not only that, the only remaining Del Taco in the entire Lone Star state is in Fort Worth. No wonder we hurried back to California.
But every legend has a birthplace. And for Del Taco, it will always be Yermo, California, where the desert sun watched the first sign go up and the story began. You can find the original restaurant and historical marker at 38434 E Yermo Road.
On December 20, 2021, Jack in the Box announced its plans to acquire Del Taco for $575 million dollars. A day later, the founders of Del Taco delivered an online message that assured customers that Jack un the Box wouldn’t lay a corporate hand on any of its family-owned restaurants in Barstow, according to the Daily Press on December 21, 2021.
Under its new parent company, Yadav Enterprises, Del Taco operates nearly 600 locations across 17 states. The chain maintains its corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, California.
References
Barstow Community College District Board of Trustees President, Julie Hackbarth-MacIntyre, https://www.barstow.edu/directory/julie-hackbarth-mcintyre
De La Cruz, Rene Ray, Daily Press; Tue, Dec 21, 2021 ·Page A2-02, retrieved July 6, 2026.
Del Taco Historical Marker https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=184830
Del Taco Website https://deltaco.com/history.html
Del Taco, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Taco
Lamb, Mike, Daily Press; https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/local/desert-dispatch/2015/04/15/state-senator-honors-mayor-julie/, April 14, 2015, retrieved July 6, 2026.
Naugle, Bill, The N Effect, free download, https://naugles.com/product/the-n-effect-ebook-epub-version/
Naugles Inc. Blog https://naugles.com/blog/
Original Del Taco Website (Barstow CA) https://www.originaldeltaco.com/
Woodyard, Chris, Los Angeles Times; Sat, Apr 04, 1992 ·Page 275, retrieved July 6, 2026.
