Rubio’s® Restaurants today announced its plan to serve only all natural chicken raised without antibiotics and all natural bacon with no nitrates or nitrites added, except those naturally occurring in natural ingredients, in entrees across the Rubio’s menu beginning in the Spring of 2016. This new set of actions is part of Rubio’s ongoing “Made With a Mission”℠ commitment – to serve coastal food that not only tastes great, but that its guests can feel great about eating.

Rubio’s has been committed to serving delicious coastal food made with quality ingredients for years, as demonstrated through the sustainable seafood found across its menu, daily handmade salsas and guacamole featuring rich and creamy Hass Avocados, and fresh produce that arrives throughout the week from California’s Salinas Valley, when possible. The Rubio’s supply chain team also regularly visits its suppliers and farms to ensure safety and that the best ingredients are being served.

“Our promise to source quality ingredients started when we opened the first Rubio’s restaurant in San Diego more than 30 years ago,” said Ralph Rubio, co-founder of Rubio’s. “It’s always been important to us that our guests feel good about what they are eating, and that starts with the ingredients we use. As guests’ expectations progress over time, and the demand for simple ingredients and transparency grows, we will continue to evolve our ingredients to stay ahead of the changing expectations.”

Rubio’s food quality comes from being selective, and that’s why the Rubio’s culinary team also keeps a list of ingredients that are never allowed in the Rubio’s kitchen. Artificial sweeteners, certified FD&C colors, added MSG and partially hydrogenated oil are just a few of the many ingredients you will never find in Rubio’s food, with the exception of certain drinks and desserts. The complete list of these ingredients can be viewed here.

As part of its “Made With a Mission”℠ commitment, Rubio’s also intends to remove artificial flavors and caramel coloring from its food (excluding some drinks and desserts) and is exploring the introduction of sustainable, wild-caught Salmon, all natural beef raised without antibiotics, and flour tortillas made with even simpler ingredients.

For more information about Rubio’s Coastal Grill and its food philosophy, visit www.rubios.com. Guests can also join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rubios and Twitter at www.twitter.com/rubiostweets.

About Rubio’s® Restaurants:

Rubio’s first opened in 1983, in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Bay. Today, counting the ocean as a source of inspiration, Rubio’s uses sustainable seafood in nearly all of its seafood dishes and continues to expand its menu with innovative recipes ranging from seafood tacos and burritos to California Bowls and crisp fresh salads. In addition, Rubio’s offers grilled marinated chicken and steak, “no fried” pinto beans™, handmade guacamole, a variety of proprietary salsas, and craft beer and sangria beverage options. The award-winning restaurant regularly receives accolades for its famous Original Fish Taco®. It was also recently named the number one Mexican chain on Consumer Reports’ latest survey as well as ranked as one of Fast Casual’s ‘Top 50 Movers and Shakers’. Rubio’s participates in a variety of ocean-centric efforts throughout the year including its annual CoastFest celebration and beach cleanup. Rubio’s is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., has over 4,000 employees and currently operates 194 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. For more information, visit www.rubios.com.