What Happened To All The Baja Fresh Restaurants Out Here?

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by Red_Devil

Chipotle has White Rice. It's tastes like the Mexican food I ate in Germany.

Chipotle has both white and brown rice.....

it has become very popular because they do a great job and have quality, fresh food.....therefore, price is reasonable.....in fact, I often make two meals out of one bowl order.....my only complaint is there are no whole-wheat tortillas.....

all stores are company-owned, not franchises...the original founder remains on the board of the now-publicly-traded company....McDonald's left the scene in 2006 after financing major expansion (and making a pretty penny off the IPO!)

[kell490]

I remember Baja Fresh got some news how they closed so their employees could join protesters in those illegal immigrant rally's that were held downtown.

[sunluv]

Chipotle like other fast-casuals, really plays off the fresh ingredients and flexibility. The problem is that while many buy in on the perception, in the particular case of Chipotle the end product isn'tthat great, actually. The sum of the parts doesn't equal the whole. On the few times there, I find myself pining for Taco Bell, and that's coming from someone who thinks of Taco Bells as acceptable fast food only.

So there's definitely room for others, who can do better. Currently, Chipotle benefits from not a whole lot of direct chain competition in some markets, and perception rather than reality to many, by having been first-in on this segment.

How far is Taco Bell branching out? The Mexican Car Bomb isn't even a taco. It's a vanilla shake with Guinness, tequila caramel sauce and chocolate flakes.


U.S. Taco Co is set to open in Huntington Beach, Calif., this summer, with a taco-focused menu -- but not the same tacos you can buy for a buck or two at Taco Bell.
The "Brotherly Love" will be like eating a Philly cheese steak stuffed inside a flour tortilla. The "Winner Winner" adds a southern twist, with crispy chicken and gravy.

The southern California location is a test-run, but it could be the first of dozens across the country. The eatery won't offer Mexican restaurant favorites like burritos or tortilla chips, and instead it will sell steak fries with tacos.

U.S. Taco Co. aims to fit inwith other "fast-casual" chains like Chipotle, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Panera, said Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy.
Those chains offer higher quality food at the same speed as a fast-food joint.
U.S. Taco Co's menu will offer steak fries and milk shakes along with tacos.

It's a growing industry so it makes sense that Taco Bell, owned by Yum! Brands would want to enter the field. "The cost to operate isn't as high as casual restaurants, but they can still charge higher prices. It's very lucrative," Hottovy said.
The tacos will cost $4 at the new restaurant, while most cost under $2 at the nearly 6,000 Taco Bell locations in the United States.