Opinion: Thank Rubio’s for the Success of California’s Now Ubiquitous Fish Taco

San Diegans received the bad news a few days ago. Rubio’s Coastal Grill is closing 48 of its restaurants here in California, to include 13 in the San Diego area. This news was followed shortly thereafter by word that Rubio’s has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Both of these developments came as a shock to many locals, especially since Rubio’s is chiefly responsible for introducing fish tacos to this region and making the San Filipe, Baja California-originated dish acceptable to a mainstream audience.

Like others in the restaurant business, the San Diego-based chain seems to be suffering from the impact of the current economy. And many political partisans are quick to point a finger at inflation and recent legislation raising the state’s minimum wage as reasons for Rubio’s financial problems. They want headlines to read “Biden Inflation Drowns Fish Tacos” or “Fish Tacos Flounder Under Newsom Minimum Wage Hike.”

I am sure these political-economic factors played some kind of role — of course, in our complex economic system there is never just one factor responsible for a particular outcome. However, I contend that one need not look any further than around my own Linda Vista community and its adjacent neighborhoods to figure out the very popularity of fish tacos is what ultimately forced Rubio’s hand.

Regarding the popular Mexican dish, one thing should be perfectly clear. San Diego County residents love their fish tacos. This wonderful Mexican food item, imported decades ago from across the border by local entrepreneur Ralph Rubio, has over the years become a staple of West Coast Mexican restaurant cuisine, not to mention pub food menus in general.

For example, in and around Linda Vista, you can eat fish tacos at such places as Mr. Peabody’s Burgers and Ale, and at BJ’s Brewhouse in nearby Mission Valley. Nearly every taco truck in the area sells them. The Kyrios food truck on Linda Vista Road happens to be my go-to place for fish tacos on Taco Tuesdays. Hard to beat the price.

The fact is, the fish taco, once the exclusive territory of Rubio’s, is now ubiquitous. In light of the fish taco’s growth in popularity, what accounts for the seemingly contradictory news of Rubio’s closing of 48 sites?

I guess it all comes down to that essential, but harsh ingredient of capitalism — competition. If you can find a good fish taco on nearly every street corner, then a company like Rubio’s loses its dominance and ends up being outmaneuvered by the competition.

This is all bad news for Rubio’s, but great news for the average consumer. Our cup now runneth over with fish tacos; and if you look around, you can usually find relatively inexpensive fish tacos on many a menu. In this sense, the simple fish taco is an effective anti-inflationary countermeasure, bravely waging battle on our part against the forces of rising corporate prices.

Fish tacos have become food for the common man and woman. I would go so far as to suggest the title of Aaron Copland’s famous musical composition should be changed to “Fanfare for the Common Man…and his Fish Taco.”

Based on the fish taco’s overall popularity, I say we mourn the loss of so many Rubio’s sites and the accompanying jobs, praise the company for its longevity, try to avoid political blame, and finally rejoice in the growing diversity of our favorite “mainstream” food selections. Check out the nearest farmers market or food truck — in all likelihood you will find some clever entrepreneur following in the footsteps of Ralph Rubio is at this very moment introducing customers to the latest delicious ethnic food trend.

Once the trend catches on, others will eventually try to mimic the success and make a profit on their version of the product as it ascends to take its place in the culinary mainstream. And one day, if everything goes right, the entrepreneur will sell a successful company to a private equity company focused on squeezing out as much profit as possible for as long as possible. It’s the American Way.

Political strategist James Carville is noted for coming up with the mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid,” as a way of motivating Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign to effectively pin the economic recession on President George Bush. Today, I would take that saying and modify it to read “Sometimes it’s the fish taco’s popularity, amigo” to explain why controversial legislation or challenging economic conditions are not the only reasons for recent restaurant closings.

Steve Rodriguez is a retired Marine Corps officer and high school teacher who last taught at Olympian High School in Chula Vista.