Trading
Places
Former Del Taco
franchise exec now
excels at franchising
BY DEBBIE SELINSKY
MU 50 Profile: Paul Hitzelberger
Salt Lake City businessman Paul Hitzelberger was one of the owners of Del Taco for
about 16 years. He’d also been a senior officer with General Mills and other large
companies before retiring from Del Taco corporate in 2001.
His “retirement” plans?
“We went over to the franchisee side,” he
says with a laugh. “My idea was to take an
area like the state of Utah and build it out
with Del Tacos and own it personally. The
only partner I have is my wife of 43 years.”
The Chicago native, with 18 Del Taco
units today, says he has an “outstanding” relationship with Del Taco. “The product is a
great one. It’s number one in its category.”
Hitzelberger, who has a degree in ac-
counting and an MBA from Loyola Univer-
