Business & Tech

City Committee Wants Del Taco to Tone Down the Colors

The Design Review Committee isn't happy with the "sour apple" green and the "Chinese red."

The newly painted colors on Del Taco have to go, at least in their current, bright tones, the city’s Design Review Committee said this week.

Committee members acknowledged that there are nicely done green roofs in San Juan Capistrano – Jserra Catholic High School and the Marbella Golf and Country Club to name two.

But they’re not so, well, “sour apple.” And the red, they called "Chinese red."

“It’s in contrast of what’s acceptable to the San Juan theme and palette we’re trying to maintain,” said committee member Robert Cardoza.

In February, Del Taco “re-branded” the look of the entire chain, from the menu, logos and interior to the exterior. The changes came without asking for permission from the city, and now Del Taco is looking to get retroactive approval.

Committee member Roy Nunn, recently reappointed to the city’s Planning Commission, said it’s not that the city’s dominant California mission style is relegated only to white walls. One only has to look at the actual Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission Basilica School to see color.

But that doesn’t mean every color works, he said. Del Taco’s pre-makeover colors meshed a lot better with the overall character of San Juan.

Nunn mentioned JSerra and Marbella as two buildings that incorporated green right. He advised to use a penetrating stain on traditional roof tiles instead of the bright paint used now.

Representing Del Taco, Mark Raber said he’d be willing to tone down the colors, but not walk away from them. They’re all part of the corporate new look.

The point is to invite “the public to come in and sit down instead of going through the drive through, Raber said, adding that he would give the plans another revision and come back to the Design Review Committee before going in front of the Planning Commission for a final decision.


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