CHARLOTTE Local Charlotte News — In the last several months, the Queen City has lost a handful of long-time, family-owned eateries from Price’s Chicken to Zack’s Hamburgers.
Soon, an iconic Charlotte Tex-Mex restaurant will be making a comeback. In 2017, Phat Burrito closed its doors after nearly 20 years in business.
“it was a heartbreak,” former customer Brian Brown said.
Now, its former location on Camden Road in South End is covered in white paint and the home of the Flower Child.
Brown spent his lunch break eating at the new modern chain but reminisced about the giant burritos once served in the very same building.
“The food, it was pretty good,” Brown said with a laugh.
“I loved it. Any place that you can wander in and get a really huge burrito is a perfect place for me,” former Phat Burrito customer Hallie Hoffman said.
It’s a place that will soon be recreated about a mile up the road.
“I am super excited I will be able to walk to it,” Hoffman said.
Charlotte resident Michael Cox is reopening a new Phat Burrito in the up-and-coming LoSo neighborhood. Right now, it’s a graveyard of old brick buildings and construction but will soon be an entire strip of restaurants and breweries.
“It’s kind of the perfect place to go. You can just wander down South Boulevard, hit all of the restaurants, hit all of the breweries,” Hoffman said.
While the location will be new, the owner said he hopes to recreate the same atmosphere, even purchasing the recipes and concepts from its original owner.
“For them to bring back that brand is very exciting, and I don’t know how much it is going to be the second time around, but absolutely, I am excited about going there and checking it out,” Brown said.
Cox said they hope to open the new location by April 2022.