Chronic Tacos, a California-inspired Mexican grill that celebrates the authenticity and individuality of its customers, is expanding its Western presence with the recent opening of its first Arizona restaurant at 3121 W. Peoria Avenue in Phoenix. Popular in Southern California, Chronic Tacos’ high-quality Mexican cuisine fueled by third generation family recipes and paired with So Cal flair, has put the heart and soul back into the fast-casual franchise game.
To celebrate the opening, local owners Brad Hagen and Erin McKinley invite the community to visit their new restaurant on Saturday, October 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and explore the brand’s fresh and delicious menu offerings. Kicking off the event will be a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, followed by a live Mariachi band, free food samples, giveaways, and a celebrity appearance by MTV’s Jason Acuña—otherwise known as Wee Man. The first 25 hungry patrons to arrive will be awarded a free taco each week for a year, and the first 50 guests in line will additionally receive a free taco. As an added bonus, 20 percent of Saturday’s sales will be donated toward the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona.
“We are a taco shop that lives and breathes the ‘Taco Life’ and we cannot wait to introduce the Chronic Tacos experience to Phoenix,” Hagen says. “With a focus on freshly prepared food and a made-to-order menu, we’re confident the concept will be well received by locals. Beyond amazing food, Chronic Tacos provides a warm, friendly environment to kick back and hang out.”
Incorporating original art designs inspired by Day of the Dead art, the new restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients and encourages customers to customize their orders. The Chronic Tacos menu offers burritos, tostada bowls, tortas, taquitos, flautas, salads, and tacos, including a breakfast menu all day. Customers can choose from carne asada (steak), pollo asado (chicken), carnitas (slow-cooked pork), al pastor (spicy marinated pork), and fresh pico de gallo and guacamole. Seafood lovers can also order grilled, beer-battered, or Baja-style fish and shrimp. Rounding out the menu, Chronic Tacos offers a variety of Mexican beers, sodas, and a popular Mexican favorite, horchata.
Beyond the Peoria Ave. location, Chronic Tacos plans to bring four new locations to the Phoenix market within the next nine to 24 months with different entrepreneurial teams. With plans to open more than 10 new locations this year, the franchise is building on its dominance in the Golden State as well as locations in Nevada and Vancouver, Canada, with expansion throughout the Western half of North America and has separate multi-unit franchise agreements for 12 locations in Colorado, five in Utah, and three in Washington. The fast-casual franchise is also breaking into the East Coast with a multiunit franchise agreement for five locations in North Carolina.
