Rubio's Closes 13 Locations in San Diego Amid Economic Strain and Rising Costs
It's a wipeout for Rubio's Coastal Grill in San Diego, as the beloved fish taco purveyor shutters 13 stores in the county. The chain, which started right in the heart of San Diego, confirmed that the closures were effective as of May 31, chopping down its California presence due to economic pressures. A spokesperson for Rubio's attributed the cutbacks to "the rising cost of doing business in California" and described the move as part of a "strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come" in an email unveiled by NBC San Diego.
These latest closures are just another ripple in the financial troubles crashing over Rubio's. The chain plans to keep 86 outposts across California, Arizona, and Nevada. At the same time, 48 underperforming spots in the Golden State have had to close their doors, a proactive move to stay afloat in a sea of stiffer wages and heightened expenses, a Rubio's spokesperson said in communication noted by KGTV. Critics point to the escalated minimum wage for fast-food workers, which has spiked from $16 to $20 an hour, as a potential breaking wave for businesses like Rubio's. Still, the company had been navigating choppy financial waters well before this recent squall, with their number of locations nationwide already significantly pruned from a peak of 193 in 2015.
Customers must wave goodbye to popular spots that have dished out coastal cuisine for years. San Diego County locations impacted span from Chula Vista to Pacific Beach, including stores at university campuses and several bustling neighborhoods. These community mainstays at Eastlake Parkway in Chula Vista, Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, and Grand Avenue in San Diego have now been served their final fish tacos.
University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin spotlighted these closures as part of a bigger narrative, stating, "The initial thought that came to mind was that they are going to 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," according to a statement obtained by NBC San Diego.
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