Can a Del Taco franchisee use advertising materials that have been disapproved by the franchisor?
Del_Taco Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may develop advertising materials for your own use, at your cost and according to our standards and requirements. We must approve any advertising materials in writing in advance of their use, including, without limitation, any website, home page, or other cyberspace content that you propose to place on the World Wide Web or other computer network, including without limitation, the use of our trademarks or trade names in any electronic media. If you do not receive written approval within 15 days after we receive the materials, you must consider us to have disapproved the materials. You may not use any advertising or promotional materials that we have disapproved.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 31–38)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Del Taco Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are prohibited from using advertising or promotional materials that have been disapproved by Del Taco. While franchisees can develop their own advertising materials at their own cost, these materials must adhere to Del Taco's standards and requirements.
Del Taco requires franchisees to obtain written approval for all advertising materials before use. This includes any online content, such as website or social media content, that uses Del Taco's trademarks or trade names. If a franchisee does not receive written approval within 15 days of submitting the materials, the materials are considered disapproved.
This approval process ensures that all advertising aligns with Del Taco's brand standards and marketing strategies. Del Taco maintains control over profiles on social media outlets that use or relate to their marks. Franchisees must comply with the standards, protocols, and restrictions imposed by Del Taco on social media use. This comprehensive oversight helps maintain brand consistency and protect the goodwill associated with the Del Taco brand.