Pancheros Mexican Grill Expands Nationwide One Fresh-Pressed Tortilla at a Time

For over 25 years, Pancheros Mexican Grill has delighted fans with their Burritos Better Built. Today, this fast-casual Mexican grill is keeping it simple as they franchise across the country.

In 1992, Rodney Anderson opened the brand’s first Burrito joint in Iowa City, Iowa. The concept was originally modeled after Chicago taquerias that Anderson frequented during his formative years. In pursuit of Burritos Better Built, Pancheros doubled down on simplicity and fresh-pressed tortillas, a move that attracted even more fans and investors.

With its newfound success, the brand started franchising in 2004. Since their humble beginnings, Pancheros has grown to over 65 restaurants across the United States.  Fans fell in love with made-to-order Burritos, bowls, salads, quesadillas, and tacos all wrapped in fresh-pressed tortillas. “We're perfecting the Burrito,” says Rodney Anderson, founder, and president of the fast-casual brand. “Fresh ingredients, customized for every Guest, and evenly mixed throughout the Burrito—that’s what sets us apart.”

At Pancheros, it is all about the tortilla, made-from-scratch fillings, and masterfully mixed ingredients by a proprietary spatula. “There is nothing like a fresh-pressed tortilla,” explains Gary Matusiak, Pancheros Vice-President of Franchise Development. “Every Guest can see us pressing dough balls into tortillas and mixing their Burrito to ensure every ingredient in every bite.”

While built on fresh-pressed tortillas, they didn’t stop there. Pancheros also offers velvety queso and unique innovations, like shrimp tacos, eggs, and barbacoa. Guests have high expectations for Pancheros kitchen, which are met almost every time.

Pancheros serves franchisees a strong business model built on simplicity. With no need for freezers or fryers, restaurants range from 2,000 to 2,500 square feet. The concept calls for a crew of seven or eight, to manage its busiest hours. “We do a 50-50 lunch/dinner mix, which is huge,” adds Matusiak.

Backed by 25 years of restaurant experience and a solid franchisee support system, Pancheros is building momentum with new restaurant openings. Pancheros looks for experienced restaurateurs and multi-brand entrepreneurs, who are looking to diversify with a scalable structure in fast casual. Founder Rodney Anderson emphasizes that “the most important part is a passion for the brand and loving what you do.”

“Pancheros isn’t a Burrito restaurant; it’s a culture built on the best-tasting Burritos in our category,” says Rodney.  “To us, growing the brand doesn’t just mean adding more restaurants to a list. It’s an opportunity to grow our culture with the right people who don’t sacrifice quality for convenience.”

Ready to roll Burritos with Pancheros? Visit, franchise.pancheros.com.

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