Barberitos Aims to Continue Growth in 2010

by Daily Vista • April 13, 2010

Despite the economic downturn, quick-casual Mexican chain Barberitos is intent on growing,
according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Downing Barber launched Barberitos in Athens, Ga., in 2000. Currently operating 22 units, the chain specializes in made-to-order Mexican fare like burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more. In December, Barberitos opened its newest location in Roswell, Ga., and the company plans to open several more in 2010.

Two of Barberitos locations are corporately-owned, but the company finds that franchising is the best way to take advantage of the current real estate market and the abundance of people looking to own their own business.

“We’re looking to grow again,” Barber told Nation’s Restaurant News. “We had been, but the tough economic times came and hindered us. Now though, it seems as if institutions are lending again, but with tougher regulations.”

Barberitos currently has locations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The average check is about $7, and the menu appeals to a range of consumer groups including vegetarians, vegans, dieters and meat lovers.

Barberitos’ Director of Marketing Natalie Glenn provided DailyVista with further details on the company’s intentions for growth in a difficult economy.

Next week Barberitos will be opening its newest location in Savannah, Ga., and Glenn said that over the next few years the company aims to double in size, reaching 50 stores.

“We look for markets that contain high levels of our demographic – families, young professionals, health-conscious people, etc. – we typically look for areas with populations over 75,000,” she said.

Occasionally Barberitos will introduce new products, as it recently launched a California burrito, a spicy chicken burrito and jerk fish tacos on Fridays.

“We like to keep it fresh for our many loyal customers and give them new options to try,” Glenn said.

To foster brand awareness, Barberitos leverages a number of platforms, both traditional and new.

“We use a variety of mediums to build awareness for our brand – everything from traditional advertising avenues such as billboards, radio, print and television to social media to in-store promotion and we have a great emphasis on community,” Glenn said.

At the corporate level, Barberitos works to support the communities it operates in and encourages its franchisees to do so as well.

“In new markets, we do our best to get to know the nuances of the area, we strive to get involved and we support local causes,” Glenn said. “We also tend to get involved in events and causes where we can share our food, because we believe once you’ve tried our food, you will taste the freshness and you’ll be back.”

According to Glenn, Barberitos’ in-house marketing team creates much of the company’s marketing initiatives and works closely with Barber, who does a lot of the creative conceptualization.

“He’s very involved with the brand and the direction he wants to take it,” she said. “We are focused on promoting the freshness of our food and currently we are running our ‘Farm Fresh’ campaign, which emphasizes how we buy local, farm fresh produce that is delivered daily to our restaurants.”

One of the chain’s biggest challenges is educating the public on the healthful options Barberitos offers. According to Glenn, seven of the company’s menu items are under seven grams of fat, the company works to promote that information to consumers.

“We strive to get them to stray from their usual choices and try Barberitos because, once again, we believe that if they try our food, they will be back,” Glenn said.

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