A spokesperson from the company stated that following a "thorough review" of their stores they have decided to close 48 locations in California as of May 31, noting that 86 stores will remain still in Arizona, Nevada and California. (California Restaurants Are In Crisis As Regulations, Inflation Cost Owners)
"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," the statement read.
Shockwaves of closures have been occurring throughout California for restaurants and retail stores as high crimes and high costs have been affecting business. So far this year, popular restaurants such as Manzkes’ Bicyclette and Patrick’s Roadhouse shut their doors due to the rising costs, business owners told the Los Angeles Times.
Lauren and Peter Lemos shut down their Chinatown sandwich shop in October 2023, but later reopened the store in March, realizing they couldn’t afford to leave the business due to the incoming bills.
"Costs are higher than ever, risks are higher than ever," Lemos told the LA Times. "I always want to have some kind of optimistic outcome for the future, but I do really worry, ’Is it going to be sustainable?’ I’m not sure we’ll have mom-and-pop restaurants for a long time more."