Can an assistant manager take the place of a shift manager at a Del Taco restaurant?
Del_Taco Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Restaurants without 24-hour operations must have a minimum of one Restaurant Manager
and 4 shift managers, unless the Restaurant is one of your first two Del Taco Restaurants. An assistant manager is not required but may take the place of one shift manager in any Restaurant.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 31–38)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Del Taco's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, an assistant manager is not a required position, but they can substitute for a shift manager at any Del Taco restaurant. For a franchisee, this provides some staffing flexibility.
For a Del Taco restaurant that operates 24 hours, the minimum staffing requirement is one Restaurant Manager and nine shift managers for one of the first two Del Taco restaurants. For restaurants that do not operate 24 hours, the minimum staffing requirement is one Restaurant Manager and seven shift managers for one of the first two Del Taco restaurants.
Assistant managers must attend a one-day in-person class to obtain assistant manager certification. This suggests that while an assistant manager can fill a shift manager role, they must still undergo specific training to be certified as an assistant manager by Del Taco.