Massachusetts: Popular Burrito Chain Is Closing Most Locations
Unfortunately, a popular Massachusetts burrito chain will be closing most of their stores this year. After a few recent closings, Boloco has announced two additional well-known locations will shut their doors by the end of the year.
Boston’s WCVB News reported that Boloco recently closed its flagship location (1080 Boylston St.), which is near Berklee College of Music.
“The Berklee location first opened at 137 Massachusetts Ave. as Under Wraps on Feb. 24, 1997,” WCVB stated. The re-brand of Boloco then took over in 2005. The name was a play on the term “Boston Local Company.” One year later, they were recognized by Barstool Sports (fellow Bostonians) as the best local fast-food restaurant. At this point, Boloco had reached 11 stores. By 2015, Boloco had grown up to 17 restaurants.
So, What Happened?
Founder John Pepper posted the following note to Boloco’s Facebook page, “These past three years have been very difficult at Boloco – not so different from street businesses everywhere, many of which have disappeared.” The post goes on to say that the pandemic almost led to all stores closing for good in August of 2020. They were able to keep fighting and keep a good number of Boston-area locations open. In fact, Pepper explains 2023 sales have been up. Furthermore, there was an effort to bring in new partners to take over the brand. However, deals fell through, and the business level needed to remain operating seemed to be unsustainable.
50 Congress and the Boston Common Boloco are the two additional locations that will close before the end of the year.
“Children’s Hospital (283 Longwood Ave, Boston) and Hanover, NH ( S Main St, Hanover) remain open for the time being,” Boloco says.
Boloco’s menu consisted of an authentic mix of burritos, bowls, and salads. In addition, their offering to create your own was a key differentiator to competitors. They offered a wide range of meats, vegetables, grains, and dressings.
It appears there is still time for you to visit a Boloco before this popular Massachusetts burrito chain continues with closing the remaining local stores.
A 'Definitive' Ranking Of The 5 Fast-Food Restaurants
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) recently shared a study that details the top fast-food chains in the country based on customer satisfaction. While I agree with the top choice, the others are questionable. And hey, taste is subjective. I’m something of a fast-food restaurant connoisseur. So, here I will re-rank the country’s top five fast-food restaurant chains based on personal experience. (Hence, “Definitive” in quotes in the headline.)
First, let’s examine the numbers in this report, as there are certainly some valuable points to consider. It appears as if their customer satisfaction entails 11 important factors. These include areas such as the accuracy of food orders, staff courtesy, and cleanliness. Another important measurement these days is the efficiency of the chain’s app.
The ACSI report is based on 16,250 customers who were surveyed. Their top five looked like this:
- #1 Chick-fil-A
- #2 Jimmy Johns
- #3 KFC
- #4 Papa John
- #5 Domino’s
Technically “other” landed at number three, but for the sake of top brands, that is the top of the list.
Re-Ranking Methodology
While I do like the variety in cuisine displayed in ACSI’s list, I am surprised at many of the names I see there. To create this ranking, I did follow and considered the customer satisfaction criteria previously laid out in the survey. Though I am a drive-thru-first type of person, I will quickly peel out of the parking lot if I detect the joint doesn’t look like it takes cleanliness seriously. Regardless of how much I am craving that chicken sandwich. In other words, those scored questions are legit measurements.
It’s worth mentioning that I travel quite a bit as well. Whether taking my kids to a weekend lacrosse tournament or heading south to visit family, a fast-food meal is often all I have time for. Nonetheless, I don’t just stop for anything, and I do aim for the healthiest option possible (most of the time).
So, imagine I just pulled off a magical interstate exit where all of these fast food restaurants had an open establishment. I’m considering the criteria points ACSI has laid out, and looking for a quality meal. Here is my official re-ranking of the top five fast-food restaurant chains in the country.
*Side-note, the ACSI also includes statistic results on full-service chain restaurants. That is not applicable to my ranking, but Chili’s is the clear number one, with all the rest being second.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.
