Fajita Pete’s, a concept known for its “fresh off the grill” fajita delivery, continues its aggressive growth with signed agreements for 15 new Texas restaurants, including five in Austin, a new market for the brand. The company is also adding five locations in Dallas and five locations in Houston.

The fast-growing, delivery-focused concept opened its first location 12 years ago in Houston and features a simple menu centered around award-winning fajitas and margaritas. Each Fajita Pete’s restaurant offers curbside pickup, in-store pickup, delivery, catering and limited dine-in.

“Fajita Pete’s is attracting a lot of attention from potential franchisees because our proven business model has seen the brand not only survive but thrive during the pandemic,” said Fajita Pete’s Founder and CEO Pedro “Pete” Mora. “With these latest signings, our expansion plan has exceeded our expectations. We also have more locations in the pipeline, both inside and outside of Texas, that we plan to announce soon.”

The concept’s high ticket averages, low cost of entry and highly efficient operational model are driving franchisee signings. Its smaller scale restaurants—about 1,200 to 1,500 square feet—have the added benefit of keeping rent, construction and maintenance costs low.

Entrepreneur, investor and now Fajita Pete’s franchisee Michael Blalock is set to open his first location in Clear Lake, just south of Houston, in early 2021, and has signed additional agreements to open five Austin locations.

“The catering and delivery model is strong now and will continue to be in the future, and the passionate Fajita Pete’s team is committed to serving consistent, high-quality food,” Blalock said. “My wife and I are proud University of Texas alumni, and we are very familiar with the Austin market. We see the concept fitting right in with the local vibe because of the team’s deep pride in the food and love of the brand – it’s not just another quick service restaurant.”

Expanding in the brand’s home market of Houston is food influencer @subtlefoodie Anthony Compofelice, who has an Instagram following of more than 16K. He opened his first restaurant Sept. 27 in The Woodlands at 24345 Gosling Road, Suite 225B, with four more locations slated for Houston’s northern suburbs over the next four years.

“I travel the world doing food tours on behalf of various organizations, and I’m blown away by what I’ve found in my own backyard with Fajita Pete’s,” said Compofelice. “Houston has the fastest-growing ZIP codes in the nation, and the concept makes sense from both an operational and a food quality standpoint.”

Fajita Pete’s will also expand its Dallas footprint with franchisee Hugh Guill, who joined the brand as an investor in 2018. Guill opened his first Dallas location at 4441 Lovers Lane on Sept. 28 and plans to open four additional locations in Oak Lawn, North Dallas, Plano and Lakewood in the next three years.

“I was looking for a simple, low-overhead food concept to invest in, and then fell in love with Fajita Pete’s—not just the brand but also the people and the food,” Guill said. “I have gone from being an investor in the brand to supporting the corporate team with their marketing and training efforts because I wholeheartedly believe in this concept and want Fajita Pete’s to be in the conversation when people decide where they’re going to pick up food for themselves and their families.”

Currently, the company has agreements for new locations that will expand its restaurant count from 16 to 51 within the next three to four years. Plans are underway to open in Kansas City, the first Fajita Pete’s outside of Texas, and the company has deals in the works for several new markets in other states.

Franchise agreements, which include assistance with everything from site selection to operations and sales, are available throughout Texas and other markets. Visit www.fajitapetes.com/franchises for more information.