A Strong 2019 Positions California Tortilla To Carry Its Momentum Into 2020

California Tortilla has certainly established itself as a staple in the fast casual space. Born in Bethesda, Maryland in 1995, California Tortilla has since grown to over 40 locations spanning the East Coast and beyond with no plans of stopping.

California Tortilla boasted a strong 2019, making key additions to its development team; hauling in a number of consumer awards; revamping its digital strategy; and closing out the year by expanding into a new market with a second new market set to open at the start of 2020.

Market expansion efforts

The past year was an exciting one for Cal Tort, particularly due to its entrance into two brand new markets: Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wichita, Kansas. “Cal Tort received amazing responses when it opened in Chattanooga,” said Karen Dawit, California Tortilla’s Director of Marketing. “The opening day was insane—we made almost 900 burritos and the momentum didn’t stop. People love Cal Tort and it was really exciting to have the new location receive such rave responses.”

“We’re really excited for the Wichita opening: We are confident it’s going to be just as successful as the opening in Chattanooga,” she added.

California Tortilla CEO Bob Phillips agreed. “Expanding into Tennessee and Kansas was a huge win for us. Both were completely new territories for the brand, so it really put us on the right track to carry that momentum into 2020 as we continue to grow our presence throughout the entire country.”

Team development and strategy

In addition to expanding into new markets, California Tortilla also expanded its development team. Aaron Goldberg, the brand’s new Director of Franchise Development, brings 11 years of franchise development experience to California Tortilla. Goldberg’s expertise lies in developing brands in new markets with well-qualified multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees.

• Mike Dolinger, Director of Franchise Operations, brings a wealth of experience to the brand; before joining California Tortilla, Dolinger worked as the Director of Operations for the Clover Restaurant Group.
• Martin Good, who, like the others, holds years of experience in the franchise space.

“Aaron, Mike and Martin are all industry veterans who brought fresh sets of eyes to the company,” Phillips said. “Their experience has helped us develop a sound development strategy that will allow us to grow more quickly, efficiently and most importantly, in a way that allows us to work smarter.”

Awards and customer loyalty

Amid the excitement of expansion and additions to its development team, California Tortilla also received consumer awards in 2019. Cal Tort was named the Best Fast Casual Dining option by readers of Washington City Paper for its annual Best of D.C. awards. It was also named the home of D.C.’s Top 5 Best Tacos and as a Top Family-Friendly Restaurant by Washingtonian Magazine readers for its annual Best of Washington Readers’ Poll.

When asked what factors have contributed to California Tortilla’s success and receiving an accolade of awards, Dawit specifically noted one thing—Cal Tort’s customers. “We attribute these awards to our cult following,” she said. “Our customers are die-hard loyalists to the Cal Tort brand—they stand behind it, are our biggest advocates, and ultimately, just really love our food.”

In 2019, California Tortilla also launched a revamped digital strategy, specifically focusing on digital and online ordering. According to Dawit, Cal Tort has enjoyed positive responses to its revamped ordering app. “It’s a societal shift—customers don’t want to stand in line and wait anymore. They want to order, grab their meal and get out, so the redesigned app puts a bigger emphasis on meeting our customers where they’re at.”

The app also allows customers to get creative with their orders and gives Cal Tort customers the ability to see every ingredient and discover new menu items they may not have noticed in-store, allowing for an even more customizable experience, Dawit added.

It’s not hard to see that California Tortilla experienced quite an impressive year in 2019, which is exactly why the brand’s leadership team is excited to continue to build on that momentum and take 2020 head-on.

“We are excited for 2020 and what’s to come for Cal Tort,” Phillips said. “We are going to continue to grow, with a specific focus on the Southeastern U.S. thanks to a number of new openings set for Q1. We also have a number of new LTOs in the pipeline that we’re looking forward to introducing in the year ahead.”