El Torito to close Westminster location after nearly 50 years in business – Orange County Register
On the heels of the closures in Dana Point and Orange, El Torito plans to close its longtime Westminster location on May 3, according to employees at the Orange County location. The fast-casual Mexican chain restaurant has been serving the community for nearly five decades, at the corner of Goldenwest Street and Bolsa Avenue.
Xperience Restaurant Group, owner of the casual Mexican restaurant chain, has not commented on the closure of its Westminster restaurant. “I don’t have specific details on this, so I can’t confirm or deny anything,” a company spokesperson said. Three employees at the Westminster location confirmed the restaurant’s upcoming closure and its last day of operation.
The Westminster mainstay, which opened in 1975, underwent a light renovation in November 2019 as part of its growth strategy, sporting a completely new look that replaced its old signage with a bull (El Torito means “the little bull” in Spanish) and added turquoise accents to the facade.
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It’s not yet clear which tenant, if any, will move into the circa 1975 building after El Torito leaves. According to City of Westminster records, no projects are currently in the works.
El Torito, founded by Larry Cano in 1954, helped popularize not only Mexican-American cuisine in the United States, but also Taco Tuesdays, the margarita-fueled day of the week on which customers buy tacos at a reduced price at the taco bar, and everyone. -can eat brunch on Sundays. The brand has gone through a handful of acquisitions and name changes over the years, with Xperience Restaurant Group serving as its current parent company.
Xperience Restaurant Group, one of the nation’s largest full-service Mexican restaurant operators, whose portfolio includes Chevys Fresh Mex, Sol Mexican Cocina, Acapulco and Las Brisas, has closed two longtime El Torito restaurants in Orange and Dana Point after 33 years and 39 years of activity, respectively. The Laguna Hills location, which served the community for more than 40 years, closed in November.
Two other El Torito closings have occurred recently, one in Santa Monica on March 10 and another in Long Beach on March 14.
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