Dublin Tex-Mex Restaurant Closes After Less Than 2 Years In Business

DUBLIN, CA — Gorditos, a family-run Tex-Mex restaurant in Dublin, closed after less than two years in business because of a landlord dispute that followed pandemic-related struggles.

The restaurant opened December 2019 and replaced Freebirds World Burrito at 7281 Amador Plaza.

Gorditos struggled to keep its doors open during the pandemic and was in "a long-standing battle" with landlord Nick Speno of Robnick LLC, the restaurant's management said in a statement.

Speno did not respond to a request for comment.

Gorditos also pointed to inflated prices, shipping delays and a dearth of workers as reasons that the Dublin store closed.

Gorditos managed to stay afloat through 2020, thanks to government assistance programs. But Robnick eventually asked Gorditos to pay rent owed on top of its current rent, which would have hit the business hard, the restaurant's management said.

Gorditos said it was served with an eviction notice and locked out.

Gorditos has an additional store in Granada Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles. It had a second Northern California location in Elk Grove, which also appears to have closed. It was also not listed on the Gorditos website Thursday.