Calbi taco truck hires brand presidentCalbi taco truck hires brand president

Lisa Jennings

CYPRESS Calif. Coleen Craig has been named president of Calbi Fusion Tacos and Burritos, a food truck concept acquired last year by Baja Fresh Mexican Grill chief executive David Kim and a group of investors.

Calbi is believed to be the first in the modern wave of gourmet food trucks to franchise. The five-truck chain offers a menu that fuses Mexican and Korean flavors, such as tacos and burritos made with Korean-style beef short ribs and kimchee-and-cheese quesadillas.

Craig, who describes herself as “the Queen of Curb Cuisine,” helped found the recently formed Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association, which aims to unite the more than 80 food truck brands estimated to be operating in the greater Los Angeles area. The association has more than 50 members so far.

“The demand for excellent food at reasonable prices is here to stay,” Craig said. “So is Calbi. I am extremely excited to be an integral part of growing this brand and meeting the needs of our current and potential customers.”

Calbi was launched in 2008 by Ok Ju An and his wife, Insook An, at a time when the gourmet food truck movement was rapidly taking off in Los Angeles.

Kim and investors acquired the brand last October with the goal of franchising the mobile concept to operators looking for a low-cost-of-entry opportunity.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].