Rubio’s Coastal Grill, a San Diego-based restaurant chain that brought Baja California-style dining to the rest of the world, abruptly shuttered 48 of its 134 locations, all in California, last week.
Thirteen of the locations closed on Friday were in San Diego.
The company attributed the decision to rising costs in the state.
“Making the decision to close a store is never an easy one,” a Rubio’s spokesperson said in a statement supplied by crisis management and communications firm Sitrick and Company.
“Rubio’s Coastal Grill, Home of the Original Fish Taco, after a thorough review of its operations and the current business climate, has decided to close 48 underperforming locations in California as of May 31, while keeping 86 stores in California, Arizona, and Nevada open. The closings were brought about by the rising cost of doing business in California.
“While painful, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come.”
The company, which over the years went by “Rubio’s Baja Fresh” and “Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill,” is arguably best known for its fish tacos.
The company started in 1983 as a sidewalk stand in Mission Beach, originally opened by founder Ralph Rubio after he took a trip to Baja California and sampled the food at a beach stand there. After years of expansion, the company was acquired by private equity firm Mill Road Capital for $91 million in 2010.
In 2020, the company was restructured and filed for bankruptcy protection, saying at the times that higher costs and declining sales due to the coronavirus pandemic were the primary factors in that decision.
