This month, restaurant chain California Tortilla makes its return to Arlington, Virginia, re-opening its original Courthouse location with a complete remodel, along with fresh new faces including a new staff and new owner. Conveniently located on Wilson Boulevard, adjacent to retail, restaurants, and high-end residential buildings and just a block from the Courthouse Metro Station, the fast-casual concept made a welcome return to the neighborhood.
For owner Darryl Shrock, California Tortilla offered the perfect opportunity to open his first franchise. A veteran marketing professional, with stints at AOL and American Express, Shrock considered a number of different brands before settling on California Tortilla.
“California Tortilla has a strong brand identity, a loyal fan following and a great reputation in the franchise world—an ideal fit for what I was looking for,” Shrock says. “My family and my friends have always eaten there and enjoyed great service and delicious burritos!”
When the Courthouse location became available, Shrock says he jumped at the chance to open a restaurant in the neighborhood and with over a decade of experience in residential real estate development, location is something he knows a thing or two about. “This area has risen vertically in recent years, and with new residential apartment developments popping up in every direction, we don’t expect any shortage of hungry customers,” he says. “Courthouse is a highly walkable area, and with tons of daytime foot traffic from all the nearby offices we expect to do a booming lunch business."
California Tortilla Arlington will offer both indoor and outdoor seating, with a 50-seat patio, a portion of which Shrock hopes to make dog friendly. He also plans to offer wine and beer, catering to the young professionals who will make up much of the local dinner crowd.
Shrock is already making plans to open additional California Tortilla locations in the DC Metropolitan area over the coming years. “While some fast casual options chase trends, California Tortilla doesn’t need to: They’ve built a concept based on fresh, top-quality ingredients and strong customer service,” he says. “This is a business that has legs—it’s going to be around for a long time.”
California Tortilla Arlington celebrates its grand re-opening Thursday by serving free burritos and a beverage for both lunch and dinner service. Plus, they’ll be offering free burritos for a whole year to the first 20 customers in line that morning.
