ORANGEVALE, CA (MPG) - When it comes to tacos, burritos and all things grande’ in the fast food world, Dave Smith aka “Taco Dave” is “nacho” ordinary guy! Nor is one of his Directors of Operations, Nigel Nary, who oversees the two Orangevale locations. Nigel is one three director of operations, and seven area coaches, who make up an unstoppable team overseeing 31 Taco Bell restaurants in Sacramento, 3 in Monterey and 3 in Reno.

When I sat down to chat with Dave and Nigel, I was wowed by their extensive fast food management experience. They know a lot about what makes a business successful, which is apparent in their thriving sales and on-going restaurant expansion. Their secret ingredient for success? Customer service, integrity and hospitality. And that’s not all.

“We always want to make it right. If we get it wrong, then we want to make it right.” Dave reflected, “We strive for fast, friendly, and quality service.” 

They sure do get it right -- a lot, and because of that, others benefit from their success. Some of their charities include UC Davis Children’s Hospital, Team Susan Kolman, the Boys and Girls Club of Sacramento and here in Orangevale, the Rotary Club, the Food Bank, and most recently, the Casa Class of 2021 Grub Club luncheon.

The three of us met for our interview in the recently reopened and beautifully remodeled dining room at the Main and Madison location in Orangevale. This was the original site where Dave began his career as a second generation franchisee taking over from his father in 1988. From here he began his 40 year journey of building and growing the Taco Bell brand, while watching customers enjoy tacos in a fast and friendly environment.

Clean, inviting and sporting the ever-popular open floor plan, this location offers customers the option of ordering at the counter or using the newly installed “self-serve” electronic kiosks. I was impressed with the simplicity of the kiosk as Taco Dave ordered our lunch. Not surprisingly, Taco Dave ordered… a taco of course! Chicken on a soft shell (only 180 calories) While I, on the other hand, lived it up, ordering a chicken quesadilla with tomatoes and extra cheese! (I’m not counting calories!) Fun fact: Did you know you can customize your order to add just about anything they serve? 

From the moment we began chatting it was apparent that being a successful fast food chain operator was not the sole focus of Taco Dave’s long standing career in fast food. It was obvious his joy was his ability to share his success with others and make a difference in the lives of many.

Nigel boasted of Dave’s generosity including being named “Philanthropist of Year” in 2019. Not surprising considering his giving is pretty “grande” with nearly $75k annually going towards the Boys & Girls Club alone not to mention being part of the $67 million that Taco Bell gives out for student scholarships too.

So back to tacos...according to Nigel, who later confessed the dollar menu is his “go to” place for his Taco Bell fix, their restaurants go through a whopping 6.4 million taco shells a year “give or take 25k”! Taco ‘bout high volume and don’t forget about great value when it comes to the $1, $5 and $10 menu items! This led me to ask about the $5 buck box, a fan favorite and staple on the menu for the past six years.

“It checked all the boxes, Dave explained, “The products are worth so much more. It’s a big win/win for customers who want value and for us in simplifying our operations.”

As our time was winding down, I asked Dave to tell me his favorite $5 buck box. His answer, “Create your own”. Of course! The perfect answer from a guy who knows about creating his own success and sharing it with others, his staff, his customers, and his community. 

What a pleasure to meet a person who truly gets back what he puts out there. It’s no wonder that this is his value statement...

“Business is great, people are terrific and life is wonderful!”