Memphis restaurant gift certificate

Business Editors

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2002

Card Provides Guests Easy Way to Give and Receive the

"Flavors of Baja" -- Rubio's Becomes First Fresh Mexican

Grill Restaurant to Offer Gift Cards

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill is introducing a special treat this holiday season for those who savor the sumptuous "Baja" flavors that have made Rubio's a culinary legend. A new "Passport to Baja" card lets guests easily enjoy the best of Baja cuisine and also share it with family, friends, and colleagues.

Rubio's "Passport to Baja" gift cards, which are available in $10 and $20 amounts, are now available in most of Rubio's 142 locations throughout the western United States. They can be used year-round, offered as gifts and incentives awards, and are a convenient alternative to use instead of cash.

To introduce guests to the new gift card and reward loyal customers, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill is giving those who purchase $20 or more, a $5 Holiday Bonus gift certificate to use on any future visit until January 31, 2003.

According to Sheri Miksa, President and COO of Rubio's Restaurants, Inc., Rubio's is the first Fresh Mexican Grill fast/casual restaurant to offer patrons this perk. "We wanted a gift card that gave our patrons the convenience of a stored value card while allowing them to give the gift of flavor to friends, family and co-workers," said Miksa.

The card, which is processed by Memphis, Tennessee-based Concord EFS, Inc., a leading electronic payments processor, can be used to purchase any item on Rubio's newly enhanced and expanded menu.

About Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill

Bold, distinctive and delicious Baja-style flavor is the hallmark of Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill. The "Flavor Leader" within the quick/casual Fresh Mexican Grill category, Rubio's serves a range of flavorful, Baja-style foods including the now "World Famous Fish Taco," great grilled chicken and steak products like burritos, salads, bowls and quesadillas -- all in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Two decades and more than 50 million fish tacos later, Rubio's Restaurants, Inc., is today a publicly traded company (NASDAQ:RUBO) headquartered in Carlsbad, California. Rubio's operates, licenses or franchises 142 restaurants in California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. For more information, visit the website at www.rubios.com.

Some of the information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance by the Company. Actual results may differ substantially as a result of various factors including, but not limited to, factors impacting our expectations regarding earnings per share, comparable sales growth and revenues, increased product costs, labor expense and other restaurant costs, the success of our promotions and marketing strategies, our ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel, adverse affects of weather, adequacy of reserves related to closed stores or stores to be sold, increased depreciation, asset writedowns, or implementation costs related to the Rubio's marketing and concept positioning initiatives, our ability to manage ongoing and unanticipated costs, litigation costs, fluctuations in earnings growth on a quarterly basis, our ability to implement a franchise strategy, our ability to open additional or maintain existing restaurants in the coming periods, food commodity prices, competition, and governmental actions regarding minimum wage. These and other factors can be found in our filings with the SEC including without limitation in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances following the date of this release.