FIRST "ELECTRIFIED" TACO BELL FRANCHISE RESTAURANT OPENS IN SAN FRANCISCO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARGENET

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Oct 17, 2022, 23:00 ET

The first QSR restaurant with electric charging stations in the United States.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Get ready to enjoy a chalupa while you charge your electric car (EV) at the first-ever "electrified" Taco Bell franchised restaurant. The South San Francisco Taco Bell located at 465 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, is operated by Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG). This is the first of 298 Taco Bells in their portfolio to feature the ultra-fast, solar-powered EV charging station that is being provided by ChargeNet Stations. DRG and ChargeNet Stations are hosting a grand opening on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 from 10:30 a.m. to Noon P.T. to unveil the charging stations and officially open it for public use.

"As the popularity of electric cars grows, especially in California, we are excited to offer our customers in the Golden State this service. They can quickly charge their vehicles and fuel themselves with our Mexican-inspired fan favorites at the same time," said SG Ellison, President of Diversified Restaurant Group. "We applaud ChargeNet Stations for their innovative solutions that work for the benefit of our planet, while also meeting increasing demands for convenience."

The grand opening will feature a tour of the new charging station and energy storage system. Guests will also learn how ChargeNet Stations is leveraging solar power to off-set utility costs for restaurants.

"We're proud of the innovation and investment from our franchisees, and this is another example of how DRG has consistently led the way in improving the customer experience at their restaurants," said Mark King, CEO of Taco Bell Corp.

ChargeNet Stations is using its innovative software technology, pairing solar energy and energy storage with Tritium's fast EV chargers. Six chargers will sit underneath a solar array, which will cover 10 spots total. ChargeNet Stations is compatible with all EV connector types. For about $20, users of the ultra-fast charging station can get a 100+ mile charge in 20 minutes or less for about $20. To put that in perspective, a Level 2 charger would need 6 hours for a 100-mile charge.

"We are committed to catalyzing the EV revolution to ensure it spans across all demographics - we want people everywhere to have access to convenient charging and Taco Bell is a great place to start," said ChargeNet Stations CEO and co-founder Tosh Dutt. "An estimated 120 million Americans eat at quick-serve restaurants every day. About half of our locations are in marginalized communities across California, providing charging access to people who may not have the luxury of a home charging station. Our goal is to democratize EV charging across California and beyond."

The San Francisco "electrified" Taco Bell restaurant is owned and operated by Diversified Restaurant Group. The company owns more than 300 QSR restaurants across California, Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, and, Alaska and employs more than 9,000 team members.

ABOUT DIVERSIFIED RESTAURANT GROUP

Diversified Restaurant Group is a restaurant business comprised of owners and operators working to innovate and grow with quick service and fast casual brands across the country. What started as a limited partnership in a 30-unit Taco Bell franchise in 2012, has since grown into a 325+ unit, multi-brand QSR operation with restaurants in Nevada, California, Kansas, Missouri and Alaska.

ABOUT CHARGENET STATIONS

ChargeNet Stations is an electric vehicle fast-charging station development and AI-driven software company. Our software platform creates a seamless opportunity for Quick Serve Restaurants to offer customers a superior EV charging experience in mere minutes. ChargeNet Stations' hardware-agnostic SaaS platform, ChargeOpt, optimizes EV chargers and renewable energy to transform parking lots into profit centers.

For more information, visit www.ChargeNetStations.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Brianne Barbakoff
[email protected]
305.631.2283

Photos: HERE

SOURCE Diversified Restaurant Group