baja fresh east simi valley catering menu

Utley had owned eight Domino's Pizza franchises but had been a regular customer at the Baja Fresh restaurant located in Simi Valley and loved the food so much that he decided to drop Domino's in favor of Baja Fresh. The first franchise owners were Darren Utley and his father-in-law John Dobbert. The first franchise unit, and the seventh overall in the Baja Fresh chain, opened in Oxnard, California, in November 1994. Because Baja Fresh proved so popular, enjoying something of a cult following, Magglos received many inquiries about franchises, but he was selective about the partners he The Maggloses added two more Baja Fresh restaurants in 1991 and another three while launching a franchising effort in 1993. Even our dishwashers get vacations, so we have an attitude in our stores that is different.' All of our people make more than minimum wage.

We're the type of establishment where the health inspector will have lunch after he does his job. Baja Fresh also distinguished itself because of 'intangibles,' as described by Magglos to the County Star: 'For example, our stores are immaculate from the front to the bathroom.

Although they lacked the ambience and service of a full-service restaurant, fast-casual restaurants were quicker and more convenient, a combination that appealed to the fast-paced lifestyle of many customers. The price points were higher than fast food, but the ingredients were fresher. And there are only two on each chicken.' Baja Fresh also benefited from the rising popularity of the fast-casual restaurant concept, which was not quite fast food and not quite full service. It's like the filet mignon of the chicken, the tenderest, most flavorable part. We use only chicken finger, which is that small piece of meat under the chicken breast. 'A tomato is a real tomato and we make it into salsa. It's not processed somewhere else and sent to us,' Magglos explained to the County Star. 'We make everything in our stores fresh daily. A number of Mexican food concepts were emerging from California, but the emphasis on fresh ingredients helped to differentiate Baja Fresh from many of its competitors and proved popular with customers who were becoming more health conscious about their eating habits.

The quick-service restaurant was an immediate success, tapping into several trends. In August 1990, the first Baja Fresh Mexican Grill opened on this site. In Newbury Park, where the couple lived, they found an affordable location, one that over the years had housed a number of eateries: Uncle Stink's Hot Dogs, Porky's Ribs, and Casey's Hamburgers. As Magglos told the Ventura County Star in a 1997 profile, 'I just wanted to have a great place and serve food the way I like it.' To launch their restaurant, Magglos and his wife took out a third mortgage on their home. In 1978, when he was in his early 20s, Magglos began operating an automobile detail and window tinting shop in Westlake Village, California, but he always harbored a dream of one day running a restaurant. First Restaurant Opens in 1990īaja Fresh was founded in 1990 by James Magglos and his wife Linda, who had no experience in the restaurant business. Because preparation time at Baja Fresh is much longer than rival fast-casual Mexican restaurants, such as McDonald's owned Chipotle Mexican Grill, management is taking steps to simplify the menu. Side orders include guacamole and chips, cebollitas, salsa, black or pinto beans, rice, and rice and beans.

Made-to-order items include burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, and such specialties as chicken picado, steak picado, taquitos, fajitas, and enchiladas. A sign that has graced the design of the main counter over the years reads, 'No can-openers, no freezers, no lard.' Steak is hand-trimmed, USDA Choice chicken breasts are served boneless and skinless, marinated, and charbroiled and salsa is prepared daily. Baja Fresh trades on a reputation for serving Mexican food using the freshest ingredients and avoiding the use of microwaves, freezers, or MSG. is a Thousand Oaks, California-based company that operates the Baja Fresh Mexican Grill chain of more than 300 fast-casual restaurants located in some 26 states and Washington, D.C. Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Wendy's International, Inc.Ī subsidiary of Wendy's International, Inc., Fresh Enterprises, Inc.

Baja fresh east simi valley catering menu