CARLSBAD, Calif. Rubio’s Restaurants Inc., the operator, licensor or franchisor of 160 Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill restaurants, reported a 19.7-percent increase in fourth-quarter revenues to $41.3 million, versus the same quarter a year earlier.
Revenues were driven by a year-over-year, same-store sales boost of 4.9 percent and the opening of five new corporate locations, the company said. Rubio’s also said legal expenses related to a wage and hour lawsuit would be “substantial” in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. “We are preparing for trial in 2007 and, accordingly, our legal fees were high in the fourth quarter of 2006 and we expect they will continue to be high in 2007,” the company said. For the full year ended Dec. 31, Rubio’s revenues rose 8.1 percent to $152.2 million. Same-store sales increased 2 percent.
