Industry Restaurant Products Burritos, salads, etc. Founders Pam Felix, Alan Cohen | Area served DMV area Services Catering Type Privately held company | |
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Genre Fast casual Mexican-style food Number of locations 51 as of August 2016; franchised since 2003 Headquarters Rockville, Maryland, United States Founded 4 August 1995, Bethesda, Maryland, United States Profiles | ||
California tortilla
California Tortilla, also known as CalTort, is a chain of franchised fast casual Mexican-style restaurants, the first of which was opened in August 1995 in Bethesda, Maryland by business partners Pam Felix and Alan Cohen. The chain's menu, which features Mission burritos, is comparable to that of its competitors, such as Baja Fresh and Chipotle Mexican Grill. A typical restaurant has 2,500 square feet (230 m2) with seating for 75 people. California Tortilla was voted by readers of Washingtonian magazine as having the best burritos in both 2009 and 2010, and "best Mexican" in 2014 and 2015. The chain sold its 5 millionth burrito on August 22, 2007.
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Locations
California Tortilla has 51 restaurant locations in seven states (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania) and the District of Columbia, and various locations in the State of Qatar. Some airport locations are branded as Burrito Elito. The chain is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
Atmosphere
California Tortilla's staff members are encouraged to be "unique" and "fun", which can vary by location. A monthly Taco Talk newsletter was published online and in print for 20 years by co-founder Pam Felix, whose picture appeared for years (along with partner Alan Cohen's) on some of the restaurant's paper goods. With Issue 245, dated December 1, 2015, Felix retired from writing Taco Talk.
Promotions
Patrons of California Tortilla experience a variety of promotions that offer free food or discount coupons. Some of the promotions are typical of restaurants, such as a free taco to those who join the email list. Other promotions are somewhat unusual, such as Free Pop-Tart Day. In 2008, California Tortilla attempted to break the record for the world's largest rock, paper, scissors game. Subscribers of the email newsletter receive occasional "secret" promotions, and a "Burrito Elito" loyalty program allows registered customers to receive points, based on pre-tax totals, with each 75 points resulting in a $5 discount.
Year-round promotions include the "Monday Night Mystery Prize Burrito Wheel", where any customer who purchases a regular-sized burrito every Monday night after 5:00 p.m. can spin the wheel and win a prize. The prizes range from a free cookie or brownie to $1 off their next purchase or a free signature salad.
Grand openings
At most California Tortilla restaurant grand openings, patrons who stop by between 11 am – 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm receive a free burrito of their choice and a soft drink. The first ten people in line at 11:00 AM receive one free burrito every week for a year at that location.