Fast-food chain to close 48 stores

Rubio’s Coastal Grill, the Carlsbad chain known for its fish tacos, has closed 48 stores in California.

The underperforming locations were shut down May 31, mostly because of California’s poor business climate and higher cost of doing business, according to multiple reports.

“The closings were brought about by the rising cost of doing business in California,” a statement by the company reads. “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.”

All of the shuttered locations are in California, and half of those are in the greater Los Angeles, area. Thirteen are in San Diego and 11 are in Northern California.

The company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, has not announced how many people will lose their jobs because of the closings.