The wait is almost over for local fans of Pancheros Mexican Grill.
The Rochester Pancheros will open its doors and start serving its "better built burritos" at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday (of course, it's opening on a Tuesday).
The Iowa-based Chipotle Mexican Grillcompetitor was training staff during the weekend at its restaurant at 4107 North US 52. It's in a 2,000-square-foot space next to Mattress Firm.
Pancheros is known for its focus on freshness and doesn't feature freezers or fryers.
The chain, often compared with the much-larger Chipotle, uses a press to make fresh tortillas. Staff at Pancheros also use a proprietary kitchen device called "Bob the Tool" to mix burrito and taco ingredients together.
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While Tuesday is a big milestone for the Med City location, the hungry customer might want to mark May 2 on their calendar. Pancheros has a tasty tradition of hosting a two-hour $1 burrito sale exactly one week after opening a new restaurant.
To be clear that translates to Pancheros selling $1 burritos from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 2.
This will be Minnesota's fourth Pancheros location. Prior Lake, Minn.-based Maxfield Management Groupis the firm opening Rochester's franchise.
Its leader, Dale Maxfield, is very familiar with the restaurant landscape in Minnesota. He's a former Old Country Buffet executive.
His Maxfield Management firm has taken over several closed Minnesota OCB locations and re-opened them as Golden Corralbuffet restaurants. Maxfield also owns Golden Corrals in Sioux City and Davenport, Iowa, Omaha, Neb., and Kokomo, Ind.
The commercial building that will house Pancheros is on the site of a long-empty shell of a Burger Kingrestaurant.
InSite Real Estate, of Chicago bought that property from Dallas, Texas-based Z's American Properties, demolished the old BK and then built the new complex.
