Local business partners and entrepreneurs Ricky Patel and Deval Patel introducing Überrito’s fast casual scratch Mexican cooking to Columbia and the surrounding communities.
Columbia
Überrito Fresh Mex (Überrito), dedicated to old school Mexican scratch cooking, announced today that its first restaurant ever in South Carolina is officially open. The new Columbia Überrito located at 275 Park Terrace Drive, just off Harbison Boulevard and across from Walmart and Sam’s Club. The Columbia Überrito is owned and operated by local residents and business partners Ricky Patel and Deval Patel.
“We’re burrito, taco, bowl, and nacho-loving locals that live and breathe Columbia,” said Ricky Patel, co-owner of Columbia Überrito. “We knew as soon as we tried Überrito for the first time in Houston, we had to bring that authentic, scratch-cooked Tex-Mex flavor straight back to our community. One of the biggest differentiators for us will be our huge menu variety. From students at the University of South Carolina to state capital employees, office workers, families, or those just craving authentic Tex-Mex – there is something for everyone at Überrito. In fact, you could eat Überrito seven days a week and get something different each time, but my favorites are probably a chicken or shrimp burrito with spicy avocado and serrano ranch.”
Since signing the rights to develop Überrito in Columbia, both Ricky Patel and Deval Patel have been active brand ambassadors while their restaurant was under development. Deval’s husband Hiren (Harry) is managing day-to-day operations at the new restaurant. Their new restaurant is part of Überrito’s strategic growth plan that features new restaurant prototypes that accentuate design and operational enhancements such as a stronger focus on delivery, drive-thru, and outdoor dining, while highlighting a softer color palette, more lighting and a modern edge that boosts the customer experience.
“Now that we are open, we’re so excited to serve our community while giving back through our new Überrito,” said Deval Patel. “Because Columbia is and always has been a community that thrives when we work together, we’re going to do our part to also give back. When we learned that Überrito was interested in developing in South Carolina, we jumped at the opportunity to serve the best scratch-made Mexican around with my friend and business partner Ricky by my side.”
For nearly a decade, Überrito has drawn in crowds for its hand-made Mexican food rooted in a tradition of fresh, hot, and fast with a generous dash of Southwestern hospitality. Today, that set of core values, along with its tradition of quality, variety, and experience, still determines the restaurant’s direction and has kept the brand on solid footing, even during the height of the pandemic.
“There is something classic and quintessential about Überrito that everyone can relate to,” said Pete Pascuzzi, CEO of Überrito and MRI Heritage Brands, Inc. “Almost everyone can relate to a freshly made burrito or taco because people are driven by an emotional connection to our authentic food – it’s very strong and powerful. We’re thrilled that Ricky and Deval have now joined our team to introduce Columbia and the surrounding communities to Überrito. We’re ready to spread our fresh-is-first Überrito approach to the entire region.”
With one foot anchored in tradition and the other firmly planted in the future, Überrito has several original locations spread across greater Houston and its revamped model, upgraded training and support, state-of-the-art technology and new operational efficiencies are igniting the brand’s surge into Columbia and beyond.
“Our longstanding history of operating multiple restaurant brands across several states provided us with the runway and experience to position Überrito for success in Columbia,” said Pascuzzi. “There was a fundamental shift happening in consumer dining habits prior to 2020, which the pandemic accelerated. Überrito is a fresh, fast and friendly environment that has adapted to today’s guest, which allows our owners to take full advantage of dine-in, take-out, delivery, drive-thru, and pick-up lane options.”
The new Columbia Überrito is located at 275 Park Terrace Drive, Suite 800, Columbia, SC. 29212. The restaurant will operate Monday – Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. To learn more about Überrito visit uberrito.com.
About Überrito Fresh Mex:
Überrito Fresh Mex is a Mexican fast casual concept dedicated to craft cooking highly customizable burritos, bowls, salads, and nachos made with fresh ingredients and toppings. This allows Überrito owners to honor traditional Mexican cooking excellence while simultaneously elevating tradition to create better opportunities for growth and profitability. Überrito franchisees can expect their initial investment to range from $597,000 to $985,000 depending on the restaurant format and real estate selected. True to its name, Überrito’s signature dish is a burrito, but restaurants also offer a complete menu of Mexican favorites, sides and more. Überrito is part of MRI Heritage Brands, Inc. For more information about franchising with Überrito, visit Uberrito.com/franchise.
About MRI Heritage Brands, Inc.
MRI Heritage Brands, Inc. (MRI) is a restaurant company that currently operates and franchises restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Its brands include Casa Olé, Monterey’s Little Mexico, Überrito Fresh Mex, Tortuga Mexican Kitchen, and Crazy Jose’s. For more information, visit www.mricorp.com.
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