ADVERTISING

Del Taco Fires Ad Agency: Del Taco, the Costa Mesa fast-food chain, has fired advertising agency J. Walter Thompson from its estimated $8-million account and says it expects to name a new agency within two weeks. JWT had been handling the account for nearly four years from its Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. Paul Hitzelberger, executive vice president of marketing at Del Taco, declined to explain the reason for the change. The news is another blow to JWT’s Los Angeles office, which has lost a number of key clients the past year.