Staff Writer
Tourists and weekend warriors haven’t been the only ones to hit the beaches so far this year. A popular Downtown eatery has made its way east as well.
Burrito Gallery Express, the first franchise of Burrito Gallery, opened its doors less than a month ago in what owner and Gallery Restaurant Group partner Marco Monroy hopes will be the start of something more substantial.
“It’s kind of a test kitchen for us,” said Monroy. He and cousin Josh Rhodes and fellow Gallery partner Eddy Escriba own and operate the standalone franchise.
The fare and atmosphere are largely the same as the Downtown venue with the exception of physical space, but that’s part of the allure, said Monroy.
There is space for close to 20 patrons inside the restaurant and he plans to add outside seating soon. The idea is geared more toward the grab-and-go aspect of the industry.
The location of the first franchisee wasn’t by accident. Monroy said the Beaches area has always been a market of interest. When an opportunity came to purchase the space that once housed Beach Taco, the decision fell into place, he said. With the space close to 80 percent built out for such a restaurant, the price was right, and the group spent a couple of months finishing renovations before opening over Mother’s Day weekend.
It was a weekend that went particularly well.
“It was great,” he said. “We exceeded expectations of what we thought might happen.”
Since opening weekend, business has been steady, which Monroy attributes to the name recognition and loyal patrons of the Downtown venue. Eschewing mainstream advertising, Monroy hopes business continues to grow through social networking sites and flier distribution throughout the area.
If the franchise experiment works, Monroy said the goal is to open additional Express franchises throughout Northeast Florida over the next couple of years. For now, though, he’s becoming accustomed to running the smaller version of the larger success.
“It’s definitely something new for us,” he said, “but it is fun ... we know not to expect so much.”
Plans for a mid-June official grand opening are in the works, he said. Burrito Gallery Express is at 1333 Third St. N. Hours are 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 242-8226.
356-2466