Cafe Rio
| Restaurant | |
| Industry | Casual dining restaurant |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Website |
www |
Cafe Rio, or Cafe Rio Mexican Grill, is a fast casual restaurant chain based in Salt Lake City, with branches in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. The company specializes in Mexican cuisine. Its menu includes appetizers, tostadas, salads, burritos, desserts, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, soups, and beverages. The company also provides catering services.[1] As of October 2016, the chain has 100 locations.[2]
History
Cafe Rio was started in 1997 by Steve and Tricia Stanley in St. George, Utah. In December 2004, Bob and Kathleen Nilsen, Spencer K Hill, along with SKM/Apax Partners purchased the chain, which at the time had six restaurants. In 2011, Dave Gagnon took over as CEO and COO at the same time as Bob Baker was appointed President and CFO. The company expanded operations and currently has 100 operating restaurants.[2] Cafe Rio’s recipes are inspired from the traditional cooking of the Rio Grande region of Northern Mexico, Southern Texas and New Mexico.[3]
Locations
The company has locations in:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Maryland
- Montana
- Nevada
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
Menu
The menu comprises new recipes and techniques inspired from the Rio Grande Valley regions of Northern Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, and all food is made fresh daily from scratch - the green chilies are sourced from Hatch, New Mexico, and the red peppers are imported from Mexico.
Awards
- Number One in the Nation, Sandelman & Associates' 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
- Utah Business Magazine Top 100 Fastest Growing 2006 #20
- INC 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies 2004
- City Weekly 2007 – Best Burrito
- City Weekly 2005 – Best Burrito
- City Weekly 2004 – Best Burrito
- Best of City Search 2006/07 – Best Mexican Food
- Best of City Search 2006/07 – Best Burrito
- Best of City Search 2006/07 – Best Salad
- Best of City Search 2006/07 – Best Outdoor Seating
- Best of City Search 2005 – Highly Recommended
Notes
- ↑ "Cafe Rio, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
- 1 2 "Cafe Rio | Mexican Grill-60 Awards and counting.". www.caferio.com. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
- ↑ Our Story
References
- "Official website". Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- "Cafe Rio official is presented a national award". Deseret News (Salt Lake City). 2007-05-05. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- "Taylorsville Cafe Rio boosts economy". Salt Lake Community College Globe. 2006-04-13. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- "Café Rio creates scholarships for American Indian students". The Daily Utah Chronicle. 2006-01-12. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
- "MWVG Honor's Utah's Fastest Growing Companies". 2003-11-19. Retrieved 2 January 2008.