Amid the spectacle and excitement of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Del Taco, the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick-service restaurant chain, today announced it has opened its first new franchise restaurant in the Salt Lake City community of South Jordan.

The restaurant, located at 1651 West South Jordan Parkway in South Jordan, is the first of six new restaurants planned by franchisees Wayne and Ryan Riley.

The new restaurant combines stucco exterior with an expansive use of glass, giving the restaurant an inviting appearance. Interiors use bright colors and confetti-painted walls to convey a lively atmosphere. Cactus-backed chairs and open ceilings with red fans add to the festive look. With the addition of this new restaurant, Del Taco now has nine locations in the greater Salt Lake City region.

Combining the best of both tastes, Del Taco serves burgers, fries and shakes along with its wide array of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas including its signature Macho Burritos that are more than a pound of food. Del Taco also serves breakfast and most drive-thru’s are open 24 hours.

Each week, more than 2 million Americans dine at Del Taco, consuming more than 112 million tacos, 62 million burritos, and 18 million pounds of Del Taco’s world-famous crinkle-cut fries.

Del Taco serves beans cooked from scratch for more than three hours, aged cheddar cheese freshly grated from 40-pound blocks, and chicken that is grilled every hour. Double Del Cheeseburgers are always cooked from fresh (never frozen) 100% beef patties and strawberry shakes are made with 100% real California strawberries.

Del Taco is a privately held company that operates, or franchises, more than 395 Mexican quick-service restaurants throughout the United States.