Boloco facts for kids
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Boloco in Copley Square
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1996 (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| Products | Burritos, wraps, salads, smoothies |
Boloco is an American chain of restaurants. Its name comes from Boston Local Company. The first restaurant opened in 1996. Boloco is known for its burritos, wraps, salads, and smoothies.
Contents
How Boloco Started
The Early Years (1996-2004)
Boloco was first started in 1996. The company was named "The Wrap." It was founded by Adam Liebman, Gregg Harris, John Pepper, and Jason Hutchinson.
In 1997, their first restaurant opened. It was called "Under Wraps." This store was in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. A year later, in 1998, the company bought another restaurant business. This added locations in Harvard Square and Cleveland Circle. All three stores were renamed "The Wrap and Smoothie Bar." Customers helped choose this new name.
In 2000, "The Wrap and Smoothie Bar" joined with "Jera's Juice." This was a company with four juice stores. Over the next few years, more restaurants opened. These included locations at Northeastern University and Children's Hospital. They also opened a store in Hanover, New Hampshire, near Dartmouth College. By 2003, Jera's Juice stores were gone. However, a part of its swirly logo was added to the Boloco logo.
Becoming Boloco (2004-2006)
By late 2004, the founders wanted to grow "The Wrap" beyond New England. They sold the "The Wrap" brand to a group called Nicar Enterprises. This group was known for building large restaurant chains.
In 2005, both groups worked together to rename "The Wrap" to Boloco. The founders changed the name for a few reasons. The word "wrap" often meant something cold and pre-made. But their food was hot and fresh, more like a burrito. Also, "The Wrap" was too common a name to protect legally.
Nicar Enterprises opened eight new locations across the U.S. But in late 2006, the original Boston founders bought back their company. They renamed the franchised locations "Currito." As of 2010, Currito had 12 locations in nine states. Currito and Boloco still have some similar menu items. However, they operate as separate companies.
Boloco's Growth and Green Efforts
Expanding Locations (2005-2007)
Between 2005 and 2007, Boloco opened six more stores. These were in the Boston area. They also opened new locations in Concord, New Hampshire and Burlington, Vermont.
Being a Green Restaurant
Boloco cares about the environment. In 2007, it became one of the first fast-casual chains to get "Certified Green status." This means it meets high environmental standards.
Boloco uses special ingredients. Their meats and chicken are grass-fed or vegetarian-fed. They do not have antibiotics or added growth hormones. Boloco also serves organic tofu. In 2007, they announced they would only use free-range eggs. By 2008, Boloco stopped using Styrofoam. Instead, they use cups made from corn and bowls that can be composted.
Changes and New Directions
Leadership and Business Changes
In 2007, a company called Winona Capital Management bought a large part of Boloco. They planned to have 66 locations by 2016. The most stores Boloco ever had was 22, in 2014.
John Pepper, one of the founders, left the company in 2013. He came back in 2015 as the temporary CEO. The other co-founders bought back control of the company. To help the company make money again, they sold eight restaurants. Five of these went to B. Good, another local restaurant chain. They also made the company's management team smaller.
In the fall of 2016, Boloco made big changes. They closed many locations, including all stores in Maryland and the one in Vermont. By November 2016, Boloco had ten locations in Massachusetts. They also had one in Rhode Island and one in Hanover, NH.
Certified B Corp
In 2016, Boloco became a certified B Corp. This means the company meets high standards for social and environmental performance. It also means they are open about their business practices. The Harvard Square location closed in July 2017. It had been open for over 19 years.
Images for kids
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Boloco in Copley Square
