As one door opened, another closed for Rubio's Coastal Grill fans in San Diego. The chain, renowned for its fish tacos, geared up to celebrate the opening of its new prototype restaurant in Oceanside yesterday. On the flip side, Rubio's had recently shuttered 13 locations across the county, citing economic hardships and heightened costs of operation in California. The Oceanside location, at 4201 Oceanside Blvd., marked a come-back following a temporary closure due to a fire in 2021. It kicked off its reopening with a community-focused grand opening party, according to Rubio’s website.

Despite the closures, the new Oceanside restaurant represents an optimistic step forward, modeled after the Baja taco stands that co-founder Ralph Rubio frequented during his college years. Featuring local art and a mobile ordering pickup area, the establishment is positioning itself to become a cherished locale quickly. Rubio's, currently operating 86 restaurants across Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada, invites the community to participate in live music and activities during their opening day festivities. In a generous twist, half of the grand opening profits are slated to support the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest San Diego, as detailed on Rubio's website.

Contrastingly, the choice to permanently close multiple venues, including spots at university campuses and in several bustling neighborhoods, blows several communities. Stores in Chula Vista, El Cajon, and Pacific Beach are among those that have served their final fish taco. A spokesperson for Rubio’s described the downsizing as part of a "strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come," as reported by NBC San Diego. This follows the trend of recent years that saw Rubio's reduce its national footprint significantly from its peak of 193 locations in 2015.

Commenting on the broader economic implications, University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin pointed to increased labor costs as a major challenge for the restaurant chain. "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," Gin said, as per NBC San Diego.