At a time when many restaurants are closing doors or scrambling to launch off-premises offerings, Fajita Pete’s, a concept known for “fresh off the grill” fajita delivery, will triple its locations in the next few years by leaning into the factors that have always set the brand apart: an emphasis on pick-up, delivery and catering of award-winning fajitas; high ticket averages; a low cost to entry; and a highly efficient operational model.
[WEBINAR] How Fajita Pete’s Pivoted to Quick Service from Full Service
After opening a full-service Mexican restaurant in Houston in 2002, founder Pedro “Pete” Mora realized that a large portion of his orders came from catering and pick-up. Identifying the gap in the market and consumer demand for convenience, Mora closed his dine-in restaurant in 2008 to launch Fajita Pete’s, built on a model that focuses on catering and delivery bolstered by community involvement and a customer-focused culture. In the years since and continuing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fajita Pete’s restaurants have streamlined operations and grown with a laser focus on pick-up, delivery, and catering.
“By listening to customers and communities from the beginning, our innovative focus on delivery and take-away successfully positioned our restaurants to thrive before, and throughout the pandemic,” says Mora.
The company began franchising in 2015 and has since opened 16 locations across Texas, with four additional locations coming in 2020, and more than 30 in the pipeline across Texas and in Kansas City, Missouri, the company’s first market outside of Texas. New franchisees include large restaurant groups and industry veterans.
“We’re now seeing strong interest in Fajita Pete’s from many longtime, multi-unit franchisees who are looking for concepts that serve current market needs,” said Kevin Hogan, head of Fajita Pete’s franchising efforts. “Pete was way ahead of his time when he created Fajita Pete’s and its business model is perfectly positioned for the industry’s accelerating trends.”
The restaurant’s efficient footprint of just 1,200 to 1,500 square feet and simple, focused menu are two bedrocks of the brand at the heart of its success with off-premise dining. Because each restaurant only needs space for two to three tables for dine-in service, Fajita Pete’s can operate in highly desirable locations while minimizing rent and construction costs. Similarly, a catering-focused kitchen and streamlined menu of fresh Tex-Mex and to-go margaritas minimizes food waste and requires fewer employees in the kitchen.
Markets currently available to qualified franchisees include Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado, Arkansas, Arizona, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and New Mexico.
