Rubio's Coastal Grill facts for kids
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Original Rubio's on Mission Bay Drive in San Diego, California
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Trade name
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Rubio's Coastal Grill |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | San Diego, California (1983) |
| Founder | Ralph Rubio |
| Headquarters | Carlsbad, California |
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Number of locations
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153 (2023) |
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Key people
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Ralph Rubio, founder |
| Products | Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads |
| Revenue | 188.9 million USD (2009) |
| Owner | Mill Road Capital |
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Number of employees
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4,000 |
Rubio's Coastal Grill is a well-known restaurant chain in the United States. It used to be called Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill and Rubio's Baja Grill. This restaurant specializes in "Fresh Mex" or "New Mex" style Mexican food. They are especially famous for their fish tacos. Rubio's has many restaurants across different states like Arizona, California, and Nevada. The company's main office is in Carlsbad, California.
How Rubio's Started
The idea for Rubio's came from its founder, Ralph Rubio. When he was a student at San Diego State University, he went on spring break to San Felipe, Baja California. There, he tried fish tacos for the first time at a local food stand. He loved them so much that he wanted to bring them back home to San Diego.
In 1983, Ralph Rubio opened the very first Rubio's restaurant. It was located in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. This first restaurant offered different foods, including French fries, calamari, and, of course, fish tacos.
What's on the Menu
Rubio's is famous for its fish tacos. Their standard fish tacos are made with Alaskan pollock. The fish is battered and fried, then served in a corn tortilla. You can also choose to have it in a flour tortilla. Many locations also offer grilled mahi-mahi as another option for their tacos. Besides tacos, Rubio's also serves burritos, quesadillas, and salads.
Important Moments for Rubio's
In 2005, there was a situation about a "Lobster Burrito" that Rubio's sold. Some people thought the burrito contained regular lobster. However, it actually had a type of seafood called squat lobster, also known as Langostino. To avoid any confusion, Rubio's changed the name of the product. They renamed it the "Langostino Lobster Burrito." This burrito is now only sold sometimes as a special offer.
In 2010, Rubio's Restaurants, Inc. became a private company. This means it was no longer traded on the stock market. A company called Mill Road Capital, L.P. bought Rubio's.
Later, in 2020, Rubio's Coastal Grill faced some challenges. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, they had to close all their restaurants in Florida and Colorado. They decided to focus on their locations in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Rubio's locations in Utah had already closed in 2019. In October 2020, the company filed for bankruptcy protection. This is a legal step a company takes when it needs help managing its debts.
