Taco Del Mar prepares to re-enter south Louisiana market

Taco Del Mar, a casual dining Mexican chain, is set to re-enter the south Louisiana market. The Seattle-based company has signed a deal with Hugh Stiel, who has served as a Subway development agent locally since the mid-1980s. Stiel says he plans to open 30 Taco Del Mar locations over the next 18 months, from southeast Texas to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The chain specializes in fish tacos, overstuffed burritos and freshly made salsa and guacamole. When Taco Del Mar entered the south Louisiana market about five years ago, it had similarly ambitious goals, talking about opening up to 16 Baton Rouge locations. But the chain opened one restaurant on Government Street in 2007, which closed after a few months. Matthew Hughes, a development manager who works for Stiel, says the situation is different now. Taco Del Mar filed for bankruptcy last year and was purchased by a company created by the founders of Subway. “We’re going to utilize all of our resources and experience with Subway to make it work,” Hughes says. Stiel is looking for Baton Rouge locations and franchisees for Taco Del Mar. “Baton Rouge is an excellent market for Subway, so we expect it will be the same for Taco Del Mar,” Hughes says. —Timothy Boone