One of the nation’s first Mexican fast-food chains, the family-run Roberto’s Taco Shop in San Diego, introduced an innovative blueprint that would spur copycats and imitators in the Southwest and even abroad.
“My dad was from the frame of thought that this is the land of opportunity. And if you’re willing to work hard, there’s enough business to go around,” recalled Jose Robledo, 52, the youngest of the 13 Robledo children. “He was always there to lend a helping hand to everybody that wanted to get into the business.”the Bracero program,
It wasn't until the fifth shop they purchased, a hamburger joint, that they would rename it"Roberto's #5" under Roberto's name. Reynaldo has franchised Roberto’s Taco Shop in Nevada and says there are 60 stores in the region. Additionally, there are also 20 shops in California and one in Texas, all owned by the original family.
Imitators tend to copy a similar orange and yellow color scheme and a sombrero-related logo formula. Some added green and red colors and others opted for different logo fonts or ditched the sombrero entirely. But the menu stays relatively the same. Laura Torres worked with the Robledo family from 1979 to 1984 at one of the original shops in San Diego. Her aunt Dolores, known as"Doña Lola" to her and others, persuaded her to work in the business after she had difficulty finding work in Chicago.Now 65, Torres owns four Hilberto's Mexican Food shops, two located in San Diego County and two in Glendale, Arizona.
"I won’t take credit for that. I know we started a rolled taco; we started the carne asada burrito. We started a bunch of stuff but the California burrito, I don’t remember at what age that came in," Reynaldo said.
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