A Favorite Affordable Fast-Casual Mexican Chain Is Coming to the US (Thanks, Canada!)

Burritobar is coming a city near you, and soon.

By Cassandra Yorgey

Edited by Laura Ratliff

Updated Sept. 24, 2024

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The popular Canadian fast-casual food chain Burritobar recently announced it is coming to the U.S. and plans to open 750 locations nationwide.

Fast-casual dining is seeing a growth in business as diners turn away from fast food that offers lesser quality at about the same price. Buritobar hopes to fill that growing niche by expanding into New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio.

Burritobar credits its success to its revenue-sharing Master Franchise model, which is an integral part of its international expansion strategy. The U.S. menus will feel comfortably familiar, featuring exactly the sort of options one typically expects: burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and more.

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Canadian history

The popular chain is known as BarBurrito in its Canadian homeland, but the brand name has been changed slightly for the American rollout. The first location opened in Toronto in 2015, and it's since become the fastest-growing Mexican food franchise with 325 restaurant locations.

BurritoBar's expansion plan would more than double that number, adding 750 brand-new locations in the U.S.

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Menu and pricing

The typical Tex-Mex menu with fully customizable options suggests that Burritobar plans to challenge Chipotle's reign as champion in fast-casual Mexican food.

Pricing isn't available yet; however, with an aggressive opening that includes so many locations, it seems likely that they will target pricing to be slightly lower than the competition to woo customers over to the new brand.

Fan favorites

Fans of Burritobar love its customization options, which let diners choose from a wide variety of proteins and toppings. These customizable options make for a very flexible experience that can accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets.

The fast-casual chain also serves bottles of Jarritos, which many prefer to the traditional fountain drinks (which are also served).

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Opening dates

Four Burritobar locations have already opened state-side, three in Michigan and one in Delaware. The cities of Howell, Farmington Hills, Romulus, and Dover all have Burritobar restaurants open for dining. Nearby residents can be the first to sample the new fast-casual dining chain and let everybody know how it holds up to the competition.

Bottom line

Burritobar has an aggressive strategy to enter the U.S. market by offering fast but affordable food with the quality of traditional fast food that has been lost over the years. Their Tex-Mex menu offerings are standard crowd pleasers, so they may be able to challenge places like Chipotle for diners' dollars as they roll out more locations across the country.

Grand openings often mean extra savings, so be sure to look for new locations near you and try them to see how they compare to current Mexican-American dining options.

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