In The News

June 3, 2009 - Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune

Grande Prairie Mucho Burrito Opens

Next week, Grande Prairians will have a new restaurant to satiate their taste buds.

On June 9, Mucho Burrito will become the latest tenant at the Grande Prairie Power Centre, joining Best Buy, Future Shop, Scotiabank and others.

The Mississauga-based chain first came on the scene two and a half years ago and has since opened up franchises in Saskatchewan, and across Alberta. The first Alberta franchise opened last year in Edmonton and was nominated the best restaurant in the city by Urbanspoon.

Stephen Travers, president of Mucho Burrito Alberta, said that what has made the chain successful is that it isn’t a fast-food takeout restaurant. But it isn’t a sit-down restaurant, either.

“We got off to a huge success, the product was welcomed to the marketplace (in Edmonton),” Travers said from his Calgary office. “Our niche kind of fits in between the Taco Times and the Taco Bells of the world, and then the sit-down restaurants of the world. And although we’re still fast food, we’re coining ourselves as ‘fast casual’”

Travers said he was “not at all” worried about entering the Grande Prairie marketplace in the current economic context, noting that the location is “second to none” and there will be a strong franchise owner in the name of Tom Lee.

“In the fast food industry, when times get tighter and times are leaner people cut out that $20-25 sit-down restaurants, and tend to migrate towards restaurants such as ours,” he said. “We are trying to get to as close to a waiter-waitress restaurant dining experience, but still you’re going to be in and out in 10 minutes to get your food.”

In fact, Travers said people would be able to tell the difference between Mucho Burrito and traditional fast food restaurants once they step into the dining room.

“When you look at our dining room area, it is not conducive of a quick-service restaurant,” he said. “It is very upscale, we’ve put a lot of warm features in there so it’s not your typical quick service restaurant.”

Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune

June 3, 2009