Del Taco closes Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama locations as all Georgia restaurants disappear from listings

Closures hit the Chattahoochee Valley with little notice

Del Taco has shut down its restaurants in Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama, marking another exit from the bi-state market along the Chattahoochee River. The Columbus site on Hamilton Road and the Phenix City restaurant on U.S. Highway 280 stopped operating on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, with posted notices indicating the closures were permanent.

The shutdowns coincided with a wider pullback in Georgia: Del Taco’s online location listings no longer show any restaurants in the state. The closures also follow a period of operational instability affecting franchise-run stores in parts of the Southeast.

How long Del Taco had been back in the region

The brand previously operated in both Columbus and Phenix City decades ago, then returned to the area during the last expansion cycle. The Columbus restaurant opened in August 2014. The Phenix City location opened in November 2019, extending the chain’s footprint on the Alabama side of the metro area.

A third area restaurant in Opelika, Alabama, opened in February 2024 and later closed during the summer of 2025, reflecting broader difficulties for some operators in the region.

Franchise bankruptcy proceedings and the Georgia shutdown

In a statement issued in response to inquiries about the Georgia closures, Del Taco said the franchisee operating its Atlanta, Columbus, and Macon market restaurants closed units while undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. The company said the closures occurred without prior notice to Del Taco and that it is exploring options to reopen the affected locations, with updates to be provided once plans are finalized.

Public bankruptcy records show Matadoor Restaurant Group, LLC—doing business as Del Taco—filed for Chapter 11 protection on July 15, 2025, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina. The case has included subsequent filings through late 2025.

Ownership changes and a shrinking store count

The Columbus-Phenix City closures arrive amid major ownership changes for the brand. Jack in the Box acquired Del Taco in March 2022 in a deal valued at roughly $585 million. Jack in the Box later moved to divest Del Taco, entering an agreement in October 2025 to sell the chain to Yadav Enterprises.

Regulatory filings show the sale closed on Dec. 22, 2025, for an aggregate purchase price of about $119 million in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments.

Industry reporting indicates Del Taco’s total restaurant count has declined since the end of 2024, and that Georgia’s locations represented a small but notable portion of the chain’s footprint outside its long-standing western base.

• Closed locally (reported): Columbus, GA (Hamilton Road); Phenix City, AL (U.S. 280)
• Earlier nearby closure: Opelika, AL location (opened Feb. 2024; closed summer 2025)
• Corporate focus: evaluating reopening options after franchisee shutdown tied to bankruptcy proceedings

Del Taco said it is exploring options to reopen affected Georgia-market restaurants and will share updates when plans are finalized.

No reopening timeline has been announced for the Columbus and Phenix City sites.