LOOKING BACK

Yet another year in the thrilling world of Mexican food has come to a close. Who could have predicted the excitement of the past year? From the change in credit card processors to new mop heads, every day was an adventure.

But before we say goodbye to 2009, I’d like to recognize those people, trends, menu items, etc. that made 2009 so darn special. So with that said, here are my votes for:

Customer Most Likely to Regret Talking to Me
The one who told me that he refused to say “oompy doompy” during our recent password promotion. Every time I’ve seen him since then, which is fairly often, I refer to him as the “oompy doompy” guy. I’m surprised he didn’t see that coming.

Customer with the Most Interesting Dental Hygiene
The one who recently wrote saying, “You’ll be happy to know that I just used your newsletter as a toothpick.” (Surprisingly, this wasn’t from the oompy doompy guy.)

Best Trend of 2009
California Tortilla being voted “Best Burrito” in the Washington metropolitan area.

Worst Trend of 2009
Me talking incessantly about California Tortilla being voted “Best Burrito” in the Washington metropolitan area. (Look–I got to say it again.)

Customer Who Most Appreciates Our Amazing Ability to Predict Inclement Weather
The one who recently wrote, “With all the crappy weather we’ve been having, I should have known a Cal Tort promotion was on the horizon.” (And true to form, as I write this it’s Double Points Monday and there are 47 gazillion feet of snow on the ground.)

Most Successful Promotion
Pop Tart Day! Thousands of people turned out for not only a free Pop Tart, but a chance at finding one of the 39 “Free Burritos for a Year” golden tickets that we cleverly hid in the Pop Tart pouches.

Least Successful Promotion
Pop Tart Day. At least it was for the 3 people who have yet to contact the HQ about collecting their “Free Burritos for a Year” prize. (Right now 3 people are saying to themselves, “I thought that Pop Tart tasted weird.”)

My Favorite Question of 2009
As posed by a little boy to his mother who was looking at a Cal Tort cup:
“Why is that lady pouring water on her daddy’s head?” My father’s 82. Do you have any idea how excited I was to tell this story to Alan, the guy whose head I’m pouring water on?

Most Optimistic Customer
The woman who, after receiving Taco Talk via email, wrote back requesting that I resend it because it came out as “gibberish.” Apparently she’s a first time reader.

So there you have it. Thanks for making 2009 so darn spunky. We’re looking forward to seeing you in 2010! A lot. (See next item.)

HUGE NEWS

You’re not going to believe this, but participating Cal Torts are offering a $5 Fiesta for a limited time. What’s a $5 Fiesta you ask? It’s a small burrito and a handful of crispy chips and salsa for only $5! Yes, $5. Did I not tell you this was huge? (You never listen to me.) We’ve got 15 different burritos so you could eat a different burrito every day for 15 days and never have to repeat. And if you slightly change something in each of those burritos every time, you could eat here 4,987,432 days in a row without repeating. I did the math.

I’m telling you, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Between the $5 Fiesta and the fabulous savings you get from your Burrito Elito card, 2010 is going to be the Year of the Burrito. Preferably only Cal Tort burritos though. (I can’t emphasize that enough.)

Click here for participating Cal Torts.

*Standard upcharges apply. But I swear there are very few.

On that note, Happy New Year!

LAST CHANCE! Extended by popular demand…