{{Short description|American fast casual restaurant chain}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox company | name = Chronic Tacos | logo = Chronic Tacos logo.png | logo_caption = | image = | image_caption = | type = Private | industry = Fast casual Franchising | founded = {{Start date and age|2002}} in Newport Beach, California, US | founder = Daniel Biello and Randy Wyner | num_locations = 60+ | num_locations_year = 2020 | area_served = {{unbulleted list|United States|Canada|Japan}} | key_people = {{unbulleted list|Michael Mohammed (CEO)|Randy Wyner (Director of Sales)}} | products = {{unbulleted list|Tacos|Mission burritos|Tostada bowls|Salad bowls|Carne asada fries|Churros}} | website = {{URL|chronictacos.com}} | footnotes = <ref name="Lindelof 2017" /><ref name="Bucher 2019" /><ref name="LeGal 2020" /> }}
'''Chronic Tacos''' is an American chain of fast casual restaurants specializing in tacos, Mission or California burritos, tostada bowls, carne asada fries and churros. The first Chronic Tacos restaurant was opened in 2002 in Newport Beach, California, by Daniel Biello and Randy Wyner. As of 2020, the company operates over 60 locations across the United States, Canada and Japan.<ref name="LeGal 2020" />
Since 2011, the company has partnered with Dexter Holland's Gringo Bandito hot sauce company to host the Gringo Bandito Chronic Tacos Challenge, a competitive eating contest in which Takeru Kobayashi set world records in 2015 and again in 2017 for taco eating.<ref name="Luttner 2016" /><ref name="Fadroski 2017" />
== History == Daniel Biello and Randy Wyner opened the first Chronic Tacos in Newport Beach, California, in 2002.<ref name="Zolman 2018" /> Their initial concept was one inspired by the local taquerias they had grown up eating at, but that allowed more customization.<ref name="Zolman 2018" /> In 2005, they opened their second location in Huntington Beach, California.<ref name="Kneiszel 2013" /> In 2006, Chronic Tacos started franchising with a third location in San Clemente, California.<ref name="Kneiszel 2013" /> As the company grew, Biello and Wyner decided to give up their controlling interest citing burnout.<ref name="Zolman 2018" />
In 2010, Chronic Tacos opened its first location in Canada.<ref name="Zeman 2018" /> In 2011, Wyner started talking with Michael Mohammed, a franchisee financier, about buying back Chronic Tacos. In 2012, Mohammed and Wyner acquired majority control of the company and stopped franchising until 2015.<ref name="Zolman 2018" /> In 2018, Chronic Tacos opened its first location in Japan.<ref name="Miyamoto 2018" />
In 2016, Chronic Tacos began offering a vegetarian protein option consisting of common fajita vegetables and in 2019 the franchise partnered with Beyond Meat to launch and begin offering Beyond Beef Crumbles, a new vegan protein option.<ref name="Gusinow 2019" />
== References == <!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references --> <references>
<ref name="Bucher 2019">{{Cite web|url=http://businesschef.org/chronic-tacos/|title=Chronic Tacos|date=2019-12-12|access-date=2021-02-02|website=Business Chef|last=Bucher|first=Shawn}}</ref> <ref name="Fadroski 2017">{{Cite news|title=With tacos, beer and live music, Sabroso a sold-out success at Doheny|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/09/with-tacos-beer-and-live-music-sabroso-a-sold-out-success-at-doheny/|last=Fadroski|first=Kelli|date=2017-04-09|access-date=2021-02-04|work=Orange County Register}}</ref> <ref name="Gusinow 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/chronic-tacos-will-offer-vegan-meat-crumbles/|title=Mexican Fast Food Chain, Chronic Tacos Will Offer Vegan 'Meat' Crumbles!|date=March 2019|access-date=2021-02-02|website=One Green Planet|last=Gusinow|first=Sander|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330064318/https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/chronic-tacos-will-offer-vegan-meat-crumbles/ |archive-date=March 30, 2019 }}</ref> <ref name="LeGal 2020">{{Cite news|title=New restaurant offers pandemic reprieve|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/New-restaurant-offers-pandemic-reprieve-572079661.html|last=LeGal|first=Janine|date=2020-08-11|access-date=2021-02-04|work=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref> <ref name="Lindelof 2017">{{Cite news|title=Southern California-based Chronic Tacos to open first Sacramento-area restaurant|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article140287788.html|last=Lindelof|first=Bill|date=2017-03-23|access-date=2021-02-02|work=The Sacramento Bee}}</ref> <ref name="Luttner 2016">{{Cite magazine|title=How street cred is helping Chronic Tacos go national|date=2016-11-22|magazine=Campaign|url=https://www.campaignlive.com/article/street-cred-helping-chronic-tacos-go-national/1416291|last=Luttner|first=Kathryn|access-date=2021-02-04}}</ref> <ref name="Miyamoto 2018">{{Cite magazine|title=Chronic Tacos Restaurant Review|date=2018-03-07|magazine=Metropolis|url=https://metropolisjapan.com/chronic-tacos/|last=Miyamoto|first=Mary|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> <ref name="Kneiszel 2013">{{Cite magazine|title=Ones To Watch: Chronic Tacos|date=October 2013|magazine=QSR Magazine|url=https://www.qsrmagazine.com/emerging-concepts/ones-watch-chronic-tacos|last=Kneiszel|first=Judy|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref> <ref name="Zeman 2018">{{Cite web|url=https://retailandhospitalityhub.com/retail/retail-case-studies/chronic-tacos-mexican-grill-2/|title=Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill|date=2018-07-13|access-date=2021-02-02|website=Retail & Hospitality Hub|last=Zeman|first=Kat|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205153739/https://retailandhospitalityhub.com/retail/retail-case-studies/chronic-tacos-mexican-grill-2/ |archive-date=February 5, 2021 }}</ref> <ref name="Zolman 2018">{{Cite magazine|title=Inside the Comeback Story of Chronic Tacos|date=November 2018|magazine=QSR Magazine|url=https://www.qsrmagazine.com/business-advice/inside-comeback-story-chronic-tacos|last=Zolman Kirk|first=Laura|access-date=2021-02-02}}</ref>
</references>
== External links == * [https://www.chronictacos.com www.chronictacos.com]
<!--- Categories ---> Category:Cuisine of the Western United States Category:Fast casual restaurants Category:Fast-food Mexican restaurants Category:Fast-food chains of the United States Category:Restaurants established in 2002 Category:Fast-food franchises Category:2002 establishments in California Category:Companies based in Newport Beach, California