The Newport Beach-born franchise, Chronic Tacos, is opening two new locations — one in Redondo Beach and the other in Westchester — in the coming months, according to the beloved taco spot’s website. Both stores will be helmed by franchise owner Cynthia Lidy.
Chronic Tacos was founded in 2002 by biz partners Daniel Biello and Randy Wyner. In 2005, they opened their second location in Huntington Beach, California.
“As any native knows growing up in Southern California, you get a lot of exposure to taquerias – good and bad,” Wyner told LA Taco back in 2014. “The ones with the best food were always the family-owned hole-in-the-wall, tiny shack taquerias. I knew I wanted to capture the SoCal laidback vibe and still provide the authenticity I got from walking into a taqueria that had a couple of generations working together in the kitchen.”
Today, Chronic Tacos operates several dozen outposts across the US, Canada, and Japan, and offers tacos (of course), burritos, bowls, quesadillas, fries, sides, and drinks.
Some notable menu items include the Potato Tacos (mashed potatoes and cheese in a fried crispy corn tortilla, topped with lettuce, pico de Gallo, and sour cream), the Surf & Turf Burrito (marinated steak, shrimp, black beans, Spanish rice, lime, cheese, Baja sauce & choice of salsa), and the Chronic Fries (a bed of perfectly cooked french fries, loaded with protein, toppings and all the sauces you could ever want).
An interview with Lidy may be forthcoming.
