by The Editors on May 14, 2008
The Carlsbad-based fish taco restaurant chain Rubio’s announced their first quarter 2008 results yesterday and while revenues rose 2.9% for the quarter comparable store sales decreased by 3 percent and the company actually lost $745,000.
“Our first quarter results are indicative of the overall challenging macroeconomic environment, and in particular, higher gasoline prices and the weak housing markets in Arizona, Nevada and parts of California. Over the past several months, we have undergone a vigorous assessment of the opportunities to better leverage our resources and gain efficiencies in our cost structure, while continuing to focus on delivering unique products and an unsurpassed guest experience. Notably, we reduced our corporate support staff by just over 10% at the end of April and have several initiatives underway to lower food and labor costs while maintaining the integrity of our brand. We believe this balanced approach will better position us to achieve our profit goals in the near term and still execute our longer term strategy,” said Dan Pittard, Rubio’s President and CEO.
Sounds like Dan is blaming everything but the food. We’re slowly learning that if your only big idea is to reduce production costs, you might want to re-think your business strategy entirely.
[Link: PRnewswire]
by The Editors on April 30, 2008
Hard to believe it’s already been six months since the last Carlsbad Street Faire, but don’t kid yourself. Time flies.
On Sunday, May 4, 2008 expect to see the streets of Carlsbadistan shut down so traveling QVC salespeople can clutter our Village with push-up tents filled with junk of all shapes and sizes. Get out early and load up. And don’t forget the beer garden. Because it’s usually the safest place to stand in the whole faire. Plus, in the beer garden you won’t have to worry about tripping over any neon coyote doorstops with macramé tails.
by The Editors on March 28, 2008
If all retail outlets marketed their products the way wine shops do, there would be coffee sampling at Starbucks, shot putting at Dini’s, and burrito testing at Cessy’s.
Carlsbad’s Wine Spot is no different. Take this weekend for example: from March 28-30, 2008 The Wine Spot is having an event they’re calling an “April Fools blind tasting.”
We are doing a blind taste test in honor of April Fools Day, so come in this weekend and test your knowledge of wines. We will give prizes for the most knowledgable palate or person with the best guesses. No foolin’
What this means is that they will be selling wine by the glass to customers without telling them what they’re drinking. How great is that? Give them money and they’ll serve whatever they want. If this sounds appealing, drop by The Wine Spot at 2801 Roosevelt St. any time this weekend and drink like a fool.
by The Editors on March 27, 2008
It was 25 years ago that Ralph Rubio and his father founded the Carlsbad-based Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill and made fish tacos the official food on San Diego, according to a story in the San Diego Business Journal.
With $16,000 from his father, Rubio, a 1978 graduate of San Diego State University, launched the company that made the fish taco San Diego’s signature dish in January 1983. . . .The idea for Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill came from excursions to Baja California, where Rubio and his college buddies dined in cantinas and at little stands lining the avenidas. . . .“My father and I talked about the concept for a long time, and then finally we did it,” he said.
Linking this up this story is making us hungry. Follow the link for the rest of the story, we’re going out to one of their 170 shops for some fresh fish tacos.
[Link: San Diego Business Journal]
by The Editors on March 21, 2008
by The Editors on March 20, 2008
We’ve caught the Parthenon’s glow during a roof-top dinner at The Fresh Hotel, cringed as Hollywood stars hit on Canadians from a waterbed on the roof of The Standard Hotel, and waved from the deck of Mr. A’s as jet airliners flapped past. We’ve even shared a pitcher on the roof of the old Margarita Rocks in Oceanside, but we’ve never, ever watched the sun set from a roof-top restaurant in Carlsbadistan. That may change when the new Lumiére Carlsbad Village Hotel goes in on Ocean St. at Offshore.
lumière hotel group is currently entitling a proposed four story, fifty-five key ocean front hotel in Carlsbad, California featuring an opulent rooftop restaurant, lounge, and pool with unforgettable views of the Pacific Ocean. We will be offering a small number of oceanfront residences for purchase.
According to the project description filed with The City, the hotel will feature 39 hotel rooms, 10 condominiums, and two affordable apartments (you know, for the help). We haven’t seen the plans yet, so we really have no idea what the hotel will look like, but either way, it will be cool to look out over the Paciic from a rooftop restaurant in Carlsbad.
[Link: Lumiére Hotels]
by The Editors on March 16, 2008
Those looking to roll into St. Patrick’s Day smoothly have already posted up on the patio at Dini’s on Coast Highway. For people who enjoy watching the sun set with a good drink in their hand, Dini’s is always the place. Just be careful, their cocktails are so well-crafted that they can (and occasionally do) sneak up on you. Which can be trouble, especially when you’re peddling your Electra cruiser home.
[Link: Dini’s Bistro]
by The Editors on March 7, 2008
Islands Restaurants, the Carlsbad-based operator of “59 company-owned restaurants” has announced that they are “calling it quits in Elk Grove, California.”
Cynthia Darlington, marketing director for the Carlsbad-based chain of 59 company-owned restaurants, said the Elk Grove site was “not performing up to our expectations.” . . . Islands was prepared to stick it out, she said, but another restaurant group offered to pick up Islands’ lease and buy its equipment. She could not identify the chain, but said it probably was “better suited for Elk Grove” than Islands proved to be.
We had to laugh at one of the comments: “What, an all you can eat trough?” Don’t worry. We still love your fries.
[Link: Sacramento Bee]
by The Editors on March 6, 2008
The Carlsbadistan Starbucks reopened it’s doors at 5 PM on Tuesday March 4, 2008 with little or no fanfare. In fact, we challenge you to see anything different about the place other than the cream and sugar station is now taking up window space on the Coast Highway side.
“There’s a lot less bump and shove going on behind the counter, that’s for sure,” said one barista. “We have a lot more room back here.”
Well, if they have more room behind the counter, maybe that will transform into better, faster coffee that will keep those lines from streaming out the door. Still no AT&T free wireless for Starbucks cardholders, but it’s apparently on the way.
by The Editors on February 29, 2008
We’re not sure this is a good thing, but Carlsbad-based chocolate company Chuao Chocolatier has announced that some of their products will now be available in Safeway and Wegman’s supermarkets.
Safeway, which operates over 1,740 stores across the United States, will be carrying the Spicy Maya, Chinita Nibs and Earl Grey chocolate bars across the country in their gourmet chocolate sets. They will also be carrying Chuao Chocolatier’s mini-bar, called the ChocoPod, in Spicy Maya and Nutmeg flavors. Wegman’s, with more than 70 stores in the Northeast now carries the Spicy Maya, Earl Grey, Chinita Nibs and Caracas Dark chocolate bars.
We were going to say “so much for boutique chocolates” but this is just the latest in a long line of major distribution plays, including Ralph’s, Gelson’s, and Cost Plus. Congrats!
[Link: PR Web]
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