Popular Mexican Chain Closing All Company-Owned Locations, But These CA Restaurants Remain Operational

Editor's Note: This story originally indicated that all On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina locations were closing nationwide, including those in California. That was incorrect. Company-owned and operated locations were affected by the closures, and the two locations in San Diego County remain open. We regret the error. The story is updated below.

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has closed all its company-owned locations nationwide, but the remaining restaurants in California are open for business.

The Tex-Mex casual dining chain has been a staple throughout California and the U.S. for decades, but had fallen on hard times.

Its parent company, Pappas Restaurants, announced the closures of its remaining locations last week. As of Saturday, a message on the website for On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina indicated the closures were in effect.

The closures mark an end to a 44-year history for the Mexican chain.

On the Border once operated over 150 U.S. locations and several in South Korea. But many sites were closed following the company's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025 due to declining customer traffic, rising labor costs, and inflation.

At the peak of operations, there were more than a dozen locations in California, including in the Sacramento region, the Bay Area, and across SoCal.

At the time of bankruptcy, the company had already closed 77 underperforming locations across 24 states, including Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Its remaining 60 locations were still operating under the bankruptcy filing.

Five Locations Remain Open After Company-Owned Closures

As of Saturday, a handful of locally owned-and-operated On The Border restaurants remained open— including the last two locations in California, which are both located in San Diego County.

"Both our Mira Mesa and Escondido locations remain open and continue to operate as usual, serving our guests and community every day," Brett Almquest, who owns both locations, told Patch.

The company's website indicated the other operational franchises are: Las Vegas, NV; Orlando Airport, FL; and Rapid City, SD.

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