I'm not saying that every Mexican chain like Cafe Rio is trying to copy Chipotle. Even though it says it's not, Taco Bell is doing it. And why wouldn't they? It makes business sense to aspire to the same kind of success that Steve Ells Mexi-chain has achieved. There's nothing wrong with that.

But so far, I've noticed that most of the new Chipotle aspirants seem to come from somewhere out of state. Costa Vida, which is poised to open its first OC store sometime soon in Irvine, next to Strickland's, is also a Utah-based chain like Cafe Rio.

Now Irvine's going to see more entrants in the genre. But this time, it appears they're local. Thatguy542, one of our most prolific tipsters, has noticed that a restaurant called Tortillaz is opening not one but two locations in Irvine. The first to debut will be at 2222 Michelson in Irvine, at the Michelson Marketplace, the same plaza as The Chippy, Franco's Pasta Cucina and Renzo's A Taste of Peru. The second will be at 2646 Dupont Dr., also in Irvine.

It remains to be seen whether its "new, simplified menu" will mean the elimination of these items. Arby's, which was sold off to a private equity firm by Wendy's last summer so that its parent company could focus on its own brand, was faltering.

If things go according to plan, 2012 might see the most significant menu overhaul in the 50-year-old chain's history. Starting this week, and in the hopes to pep up lagging sales, Taco Bell is testing Chipotle-style food it's dubbing its "Cantina Bell" line in Bakersfield, California and Louisville, Kentucky. The company is after the Chipotle dollar.