Anna's Taqueria
 | |
 Anna's Taqueria Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts location. | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Products | Mexican food |
| Owner | Michael Kamio |
| Website | annastaqueria.com |
Anna's Taqueria is a chain of quick-service Mexican-fusion restaurants in the Boston area.
Overview
[edit]Anna's is modeled after U.S. West Coast style Mexican cuisine, specifically the Mission-style burrito of San Francisco.[1] Its menu offers only five core items: burritos, tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, and salads. It has been described as "the best burritos for next to nothing".[2] The food is made using an assembly line-style process.[1][3] The chain currently has six stores in operation, including two in Cambridge.[4]
In April 2009, Anna's Taqueria was recipient of the Boston Phoenix's 'Best of Boston' Award for best fast food,[5] while the company has won Boston Magazine's 'Best of Boston' award multiple times.[6]
History
[edit]The first Anna's Taqueria was founded by Michael Kamio and located in Brookline's Coolidge Corner in 1995 after a disagreement with his sister Mariko Kamio, who owns the competing Boca Grande chain.[6] Since then, the restaurant chain expanded its presence with the opening of a second location in Brookline, in addition to the existing restaurants in Porter and Davis Squares. Furthermore, new restaurants were established at MIT's Stratton Student Center and on Cambridge St. in Boston, strategically positioned across from the Massachusetts General Hospital. These expansions allowed the chain to reach a broader audience and cater to the dining needs of diverse communities in the Boston area.[4] In 2024, Fenway Park added Anna's Taqueria as a concession vendor.[7]
Labor controversy
[edit]In 2004, Anna's Taqueria was made to pay $206,918 in back-wages to 127 employees. The Labor Department Wage and Hour Division found that the four stores had been employing individual employees at multiple locations and not paying the requisite time-and-a-half wages for time worked in excess of 40 hours between the months of January 2001 and January 2003.[8]
References
[edit]- Notes
- ^ a b Cheng 2005
- ^ Phantom Gourmet 2007, p.47.
- ^ Beste 2005
- ^ a b Locations Archived 4 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Anna's Taqueria website
- ^ The Boston Phoenix "Best of" Awards Page Archived 15 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Wolfson 2005
- ^ Adams, Erika (5 April 2018). "What to Eat in and Around Fenway Park, Home of the Boston Red Sox". Eater Boston. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ^ U.S. Department of Labor (9 March 2004). "Anna's Taqueria Restaurants to Pay Employees Nearly $207,000 in Back Wages Following Labor Department Investigation". Boston, MA: DoL Wage and Hour Division. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
- Bibliography
- Beste, Meg (5 May 2005). "A spice of sibling rivalry". Chestnut Hill, MA: The Heights. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- Chang, Jeffrey (11 February 2005). "Thousands Visit Anna's Opening". Cambridge, MA: The Tech. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- Phantom Gourmet (2007). Phantom Gourmet Guide to Boston's Best Restaurants 2008. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-312-37460-0. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
- Wolfson, John (February 2005). "The Burrito War". Boston, MA: Boston Magazine. Retrieved 10 June 2017.[permanent dead link]