Forty-eight locations in California, 13 of which are located in San Diego, closed on May 31, according to a Rubio’s spokesperson, NBC 7’s Kelvin Henry reports.
San Diego-founded Rubio’s Coastal Grill is shuttering dozens of California locations, and San Diego stores have not been left unscathed.
Forty-eight locations in California, 13 of which are located in San Diego, closed on May 31, according to a Rubio’s spokesperson.
“Making the decision to close a store is never an easy one. 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,” Rubio’s Coastal Grill Spokesperson said.
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Rubio’s has been facing some headwinds for a while, according to some economists.
“The initial thought that came to mind was that they are going to really be hit hard by this increase in the minimum wage for fast food workers from $16 per hour to $20 per hour but there are some other issues as well that Rubio’s is facing. They’ve been having financial difficulties for a long time. I haven’t looked at their books or anything like that, but I do know that in 2015 they had 193 locations nationwide. So – they’ve cut about a third of those and so they’re going to cut another third with the closings that were announced yesterday,” University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin said.
A Rubio’s Coastal Grill Spokesperson confirmed the following locations closed in San Diego County:
Rubio's locations closing in San Diego County
- 1480 Eastlake Pkwy. Suite 901, Chula Vista, CA 91915
- 419 Parkway Plaza, El Cajon, CA 92020
- 1485 E Valley Pkwy. Suite A-6, Escondido, CA 92027
- 9187 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite 7, San Diego, CA 92123
- 910 Grand Avenue, San Diego, CA 92109
- 8935 Towne Centre Dr., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92122
- 9254 Scranton Rd, Ste 105, San Diego, CA 92121
- 2260 Callagan Hwy Bldg. 3187, San Diego, CA 92136
- 7835 Highlands Village Pl. Suite D101, San Diego, CA 92129
- 1711 University Drive, Suite 110. Vista, CA 92083
- 9500 Gillman Drive, Food Ct., La Jolla, CA 92093
- 1158 W San Marcos Blvd. Suite A, San Marcos, CA 92078
- 437 Hwy 101 #117, Solana Beach, CA 92075
