Good Times was founded in 1987, six years before the first Chipotle went up on East Evans Avenue. The company was an early convert to local sourcing, and has continued to evolve over the past 25 years -- most recently introducing a green chile menu for the fall, including a test run of breakfast burritos.
I tested the quartet of new offerings, which seem a bargain at just $2 -- especially since they all feature a very respectable green chile sauce made with Hatch chiles.
But what happened to the Green Chile Lover's menu featuring chile from Santiago's that Good Times was featuring last year? (Read the Cafe Society report on that here.)
Here's the word from Boyd E. Hoback, president and CEO of Good Times:
Most of Santiago's stores are franchised (even though they are often related) and it was problematic for them to have us sell their branded product that would be in competition with their own stores, so we had a friendly parting this past May. We have the utmost respect for Carmen and the Santiago's brand. Part of Good Times core brand position is to use authentic, regional ingredients (such as Meyer Ranch All Natural Beef, fresh Idaho russet potatoes, Udi's focaccia, etc) and Hatch Valley NM green chile is a perfect fit for us and is a way for us to come to market with a breakfast program that is very different from anything in QSR.
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