SLO taco restaurant closes after nearly 5 years. Here’s what could be coming next
A Mexican restaurant has closed in downtown San Luis Obispo after nearly five years in business.
Chronic Tacos closed in mid-January after operating in the commercial space next to Barnes & Noble since July 2015, according to the property owner, Jamestown.
Therese Chron, Jamestown’s West Coast regional leasing director, said the property owner is working towards a lease agreement with a new food venue at the space. The tenant space is located near Jamba Juice and Starbucks in the Downtown Centre Cinemas complex.
A new business is expected to move in, according to the Jamestown leasing agent, but it’s not official yet.
“We have a great brand coming into play,” Chron wrote in an email. “We are currently working on a lease.”
Chron said that once a lease agreement has been formalized, the owner could choose to announce the opening timeline.
A worker at the site conducting measurements on Tuesday at the space told The Tribune that a chicken restaurant in the same vein of a Chipotle Mexican Grill would soon open there. But it’s unclear which restaurant that would be.
A woman who opened the locked building’s door on Tuesday declined to comment, saying a lease agreement still hadn’t been signed.
Chronic Tacos closes in downtown SLO
Chronic Tacos started with one location, opening in Newport Beach in 2002, according to the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce’s announcement of the business opening in 2015.
“The menu at Chronic Tacos is the heart and soul of the Taco Life — a lifestyle which encourages individuality,” the chamber wrote in its 2015 announcement on the business opening. “Customize orders, choosing from fresh, locally sourced ingredients made daily from scratch, all fused together using third-generation recipes.”
The Chronic Tacos chain has 29 restaurants in California, including several in Orange County, in addition to other eateries nationwide.
Representatives of the Chronic Tacos chain didn’t respond to The Tribune’s request for comment about why the business closed.
Yelp reviews reveal restaurant customer feedback
Chronic Tacos scored a rating of three out of five stars on Yelp.com, which restaurant owners say shouldn’t be relied upon absolutely. But it can give an indication of customers’ experience.
Erica S., who gave the restaurant five stars in August 2018, wrote that “I would rather eat at (SLO’s) Chronic Tacos than Chipotle any day. Prices are fair, everyone is friendly, service is great. My new favorite spot!”
However, a customer who gave Chronic Tacos a three-star rating said the cooks seemed inexperienced and the service was slow. Improvement was needed for repeat service, according to the post.
“For both visits, several months apart, it was apparent that the cooks/counter personnel were new and in training,” Bob F. wrote in December 2019. “What should have been fast service, was slow and error-filled. We should have comfortably had our food in 5-8 minutes, not 15-plus.”
Another customer, Susie Q. wrote in September 2019, “So I’m really disappointed in in this place, it use to be so good, but slowly the place has declined and is (more) dirty.
“The staff is rude and last night I went into the restaurant at 7:50 and they said they were closing when the website says they close at 10,” the Yelp reviewer wrote, giving Chronic Tacos a one-star rating.
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