California Tortilla gets politicalCalifornia Tortilla gets political

Mark Brandau

California Tortilla took a promotional page out of current events recently by inviting customers to “occupy” its 35 fast-casual restaurants — an occasion that sparked a banner day in terms of sales and traffic.


Putting the chain’s characteristically cheeky spin on the Occupy Wall Street movement, Rockville, Md.-based California Tortilla offered a free order of chips and queso to any patron who either brought in an “Occupy Cal Tort” sign to one of the restaurants or who said “Occupy Cal Tort” to the cashier on Oct. 26. 


The brand also advertised through social media that it would donate 1 percent of the day’s gross sales to local food banks — a twist on Occupy Wall Street’s campaign against “the 1 percent” on behalf of protest...