Mexican restaurant brand Barburrito will open its fourth and fifth sites this spring and summer as part of plans to grow the estate to seven by the end of this year.
The chain, run by former management consultants Morgan Davies and Paul Kilpatrick, will open its next restaurant in Deansgate, Manchester on 15 April before opening a store in Leeds in the summer.
Chairman Richard O Sullivan, co-founder and owner of Millie's Cookies until 2003, said the brand had seen 'impressive financial growth' over the past three years with like-for-like sales up 30 per cent at its existing two sites in Manchester and in Liverpool. Annual turnover was £2.3m for 2009-2010.
Mexican restaurant expansion
He said: “Barburrito’s rapidly growing popularity with consumers is due to it consistency in serving fast, fresh, and healthier Mexican food. This has enabled us to embark on what is a well-coordinated expansion programme in Manchester, Liverpool and latterly, Leeds in Summer 2010.”
Sullivan said he was hoping to grow the brand slowly with plans to open another two sites this year, creating up to 200 jobs within the group. There are also plans to add further sites in 2011.
"I'm constantly asked about the scale and pace of our expansion plans in view of the developing market with Barburrito having been the first quality burrito bar to open, back in 2005”, he said. “My answer is the same to everybody. It’s a marathon not a sprint and we base our current success on how we’ve delivered on building and operating each new restaurant.
“We developed the Millie’s Cookies and Boost brands along a similar strategy and we will repeat that success with Barburrito.”