Freebirds World Burrito (pc-pinterest.com)
“Born in California. Raised in Texas” is their slogan. Mark Orfalea originally designed the restaurant around the roasted chicken concept similar to El Pollo Loco and wanted to deliver food to the UC Santa Barbara students. At the end of the day, he was left with unused chicken. His aunt suggested he marinate in barbeque sauce and make burritos which created the now famous Burrito the chain is known for.
General Restaurant Information
Food Type: Mexican
Restaurant Type: Fast Casual
U.S. Locations: 89
States: 6 states, Freebirds World Burrito Locations
Company Slogan: Born in California. Raised in Texas.
Contact Information
Website: freebirds.com
Questions: Contact Information
Phone number: 512-428-6802
Email: Contact Form Only
Blog: Company Blog
FAQ Page: No
Ownership
Who Owns Freebirds World Burrito? Tavistock Group
Headquartered: Austin, Texas
Contact Information:
Website: Travistock Group
Email/contact page: Travistock Contact
Phone: 407-909-7101
Address: 4705 S Apopka Vineland Road, Suite 210, Orlando, FL 32819
Do They Franchise? Yes, beginning in 2012
We have found success by appealing to guests who love our fresh food and align with our messages of freedom and choices, along with the importance of music in our lives and who appreciate our ‘not normal’ approach to everything we do. We deliver an emotional connection to our guests. ~ Chris Cheek, vice president, franchise development (source)
What Is It Like To Work At Freebirds World Burrito?
3.6/5 or 72%; 262 Reviews (indeed.com)
3.0/5, or 60%; 140 Reviews (glassdoor.com)
The original location was at 879 Embarcadero Del Norte, Isla Vista, California (photo credit: localwiki.org)
The History of FWB
Original Location: 879 Embarcadero Del Norte, Isla Vista, California
Founded: February 1987
Founded By: Mark Orfalea and Pierre Dube
Freebirds relocates corporate headquarters to Austin (mystatesman.com)
Founder Obituary: Still Living
Name Origin: Mark’s dad had passed away and Freebird by Lynyrd Skynard was one of his favorite songs. (source)
Company History Page: Company History Page
Current View of Original Location: 879 Embarcadero Del Norte as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)
Historical Articles:
Freebirds World Burrito Chain Sold (independent.com)
Celebrating 30th Anniversary (qsrmagazine.com)
Social Awareness
Charity Focus: Community Support
Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found
Animal Cruelty: No resources found
The restaurant has a diverse menu that includes four different burrito sizes, four tortilla flavors, 10 different sauces and 30 additional toppings. (source)
Discounts At Freebirds World Burrito
Rewards Program: Freebirds World Burrito Reward Program
Do Kids Eat Free at Freebirds World Burrito?
What day do kids eat free at Freebirds? Sunday
Summary: This from an article by QSR Magazine published August 2, 2017
Starting August 6, quirky fast-casual favorite Freebirds World Burrito will offer free meals for kids every Sunday for children under the age of 12 with the purchase of an adult entrée.
The kid’s menu features a choice of a hearty burrito or quesadilla and includes chips and a beverage. Kids are also encouraged to use the foil from their burrito to create one-of-a-kind sculptures that can be displayed in the restaurants’ dining room.
Does Freebirds World Burrito Offer Military Discounts?
Summary: No resources found
What Does Freebirds World Burrito offer for My Birthday!?
Summary: Urban Tastebud states you get a “Free burrito” on your birthday
Does FWB Offer First Responder Discounts?
Summary: No resources found
Do They Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?
Summary: No resources found
Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits Offered?
Summary: The restaurant has their Loyalty Program which offers several perks. Check the site for current information and promotions.
FWB (pc-pinterest.com)
Amenities
Order Online: Online Order
WiFi Available: Yes
Use Apple Pay: No
Reservations: No
Catering: FWB Catering
Drive-Thru: No
Open 24 Hours: No (although they used to be)
Customer Reviews of FWB
Yelp: 3.5/5 or 71%, 3,136 reviews sampled
Tripadvisor: 4.0/5 or 80%, 285 reviews sampled
Overall (weighted) Average: 3.58/5 or 72%, 3,421 reviews sampled
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Food & Nutrition
Menu: Freebirds World Burrito Menu
Kids Menu: Freebirds World Burrito Kids Menu
Secret Menu: Quesarrito
Most Popular Menu Item: Burrito
Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi
Serve Alcohol: Yes
Nutritional Information: Freebirds World Burrito Nutrition Guide
Vegetarian | Vegan Options:
Try These Vegan Fast Food and Chain Restaurant Options on the Go (peta.org)
Vegan At Freebirds World Burrito (thevegandragon.com)
Freebirds Restaurant And Beyond Meat Partner To Launch Vegan Burritos (livekindly.co)
Freebirds World Burrito Vegan Temphe Calabacitas (vrg.org)
Freebirds World Burrito introduces a new vegan option (chron.com)
Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found
Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources:
Healthy Options (eatingrules.com)
Healthier Choices (eatingwellontheroad.com)
Allergy Information
Allergen Information: Freebirds World Burrito Allergen Guide
Gluten Free Options:
Freebird’s World Burrito Gluten-Free Options (glutenfreeforecast.wordpress.com)
Dairy Free Options:
Freebirds World Burrito Dairy Free Options (godairyfree.org)
Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)
Peanut Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful to you.
Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)
Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)
Freebirds World Burrito (pc-freebirds.com)
Does Freebirds World Burrito Have Any Secret Recipes?
FWB Secret Recipes:
Steak Burrito and Creamy Jalapeno Salsa (newschannel5.com)
Slow-Carb/Paleo Style (slowcarbchef.com)
Freebirds World Burrito Creates the Perfect Union Between Tex And Mex (flicksandfood.com)
Sizzling Steak Burrito Bowl (culinaryenvy.com)
Did You Know?
Fun Facts:
The name of the restaurant came from the Lynyrd Skynyrd song Freebird which was one of Mark’s dad’s favorite songs who had passed away.
Mark’s dad also loved motorcycles, and Mark paid tribute to his dad by placing the trademark man on a motorcycle crashing through the restaurant walls.
The chain uses an “open kitchen” concept, and their employees are referred to as “Tribe Members” (source)
Interesting Articles:
‘What Song Is It You Wanna Hear?’ — Freebirds World Burrito Coming to Green Hills (nashvillescene.com)
‘Freebirds World Burrito to debut new design in Dallas (fastcasual.com)
Freebirds World Burrito (qsrmagazine.com)
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Social Media
Followers (as of August 2018) –
Facebook: 151,622
Twitter: 12,500
Instagram: 9,357
Mobile Apps
No resources found
Alternatives
Better Options: Coming Soon
Similar Restaurants:
In Summary
Freebird World Burrito, much like its competitors, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Chipotle focus on quality ingredients and a diverse menu. It comes down to taste in your decision of which is better. It is, however nice to have multiple options depending on the state you live in to bring competition to so many of the Mexcian fast-casual chains that aren’t committed at all too fresh ingredients while providing transparency (e.g., open kitchen environment).
Freebirds is a restaurant I would enjoy taking my kids to. I love that they seem to care about their food ingredients and serving healthy options. They offer free kids meals on Sundays up to 12 years old which is nice (some don’t go that high). I wish they offered an additional night during the week for busy parents getting off from work. Fast Casual usually is a good fit for families and kids as it can provide better food options than fast food but are more kid-friendly than a lot of full-service restaurants.
I hope you found the information on Freebirds helpful. The more we know and understand about the restaurants we eat at, the better decisions we can make of where and what we should eat. If you found this article helpful, would you please help by sharing this with your friends and family. If there is anything you would like to see about a restaurant that’s not already listed, please leave a comment below, I would love your feedback! You can also email me at anytime backofthemenu @ gmail.com.
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