10 Years Later, The Voice Behind Del Taco’s ‘FRE SH A VOCA DO’ Tells Her Story
Somehow, it’s been ten years since ‘FRE SH A VOCA DO’ and its tie to Del Taco first entered the chat. What started as a chaotic Vine from Cathleen Dovolis, aka Gasoleen, turned into one of those internet moments that never really left, just resurfacing whenever the timeline needed it.
Del Taco caught the wave, tapped in with Dovolis, and let that viral moment evolve into one of the most memorable bits of that internet era. The result is ‘FRE SH A VOCA DO’ as we know it now, something that feels less like marketing and more like the internet doing what it does best.
A decade later, we caught up with Dovolis to talk about how the ‘FRE SH A VOCA DO’ moment started, took off, and grew into something much bigger than a Vine.
Foodbeast: Take us back to that moment. What made you start recording?
Gasoleen: It was Valentine’s Day, but my husband and I have been together forever, so we weren’t doing anything romantic. We were going to Walmart. We passed by this Del Taco, then went to the Coffee Bean that used to be across the way. I saw the sign and the letters were all messed up, and it was in quotes.
I joked to my husband, like, “Look, they’ve got something called ‘FRE SH A VOCA DO’” He laughed and said, “You should take a video of that.” I was like, “Nah, that’s just me being stupid.”
We got our coffee, came back, and we were at the stoplight heading to Walmart when he goes, “Last chance.” So I was like, fine.
It actually started as a Snapchat. The original clip was longer. I did my little thing, said the line, we laughed, and that was it. I posted it to Snapchat, then while we were in Walmart, I shortened it and put it on Vine.
Didn’t think much of it. It got my usual 20–30 likes, mostly friends. Then maybe a month later, I wake up to my phone blowing up with notifications. A bunch of editors and creators were sharing it, and people were making their own versions—like the Taylor Swift and Michelle Obama ones.
If it weren’t for my husband, the video wouldn’t have been made. I thought it was too stupid. But apparently, that’s what people like.
Foodbeast: What did it mean to you when it went viral, especially as a fan?
Gasoleen: It meant a lot. Shortly after it went viral, Del Taco sent me a letter with a card and some swag, thanking me. They were in on the joke, they enjoyed it.
They even did a coupon for a short time where people could go in and say it. I’m sure it drove some employees crazy. It was fun when it was really big, and now it’s one of those things where when you hear it, you’re like, “Oh man, memories.”
Foodbeast: What’s your favorite remix of it?
Gasoleen: There were a lot. I like the Ellie Goulding one and the Taylor Swift one. There were so many, it’s hard to pick. But the Scooby-Doo one was really funny and clever, because my voice kind of matched it.
Foodbeast: What have you been up to these past ten years? Still making videos?
Gasoleen: I did for a while, then Vine died, which was sad. I moved to Instagram, then TikTok for a bit, but it’s different. I also had a full-time job, so I could only do so much. It was more random posting, not like when I was active on Vine.
Then in August 2024, I was diagnosed with a type of leukemia, and in September 2025 I had a bone marrow transplant. So I’ve mostly just been recovering since then.
But this whole thing with the ten-year anniversary, Del Taco reaching out, and doing interviews like this—it’s really helped rejuvenate me.
So what started as a quick joke in a Walmart parking lot has come full circle. Del Taco is bringing it back to where it all began, honoring Cathleen at the original location with an in-restaurant mural, drive-thru art installations, and a reader board tribute that nods to the moment that stuck. Leave it to Del Taco to lean in to celebrations just to amp up the good times—remember what they did for National Pickle Day?
It’s not just nostalgia for the sake of it. It’s the internet crossing back into real life, again. And for anyone who wants to tap in, there’s a $5 Epic Grilled Chicken Fresh Guacamole Burrito, available for rewards members through the app or deltaco.com from March 18 through April 1, made with guacamole featuring Avocados From Mexico.
