Pancheros Mexican Grill facts for kids
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A Pancheros restaurant in Waterloo, Iowa
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Trade name
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Pancheros Mexican Grill |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | August 14, 1992 in Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Founder | Rodney Anderson |
| Headquarters | Coralville, Iowa, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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73 |
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Key people
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Rodney Anderson (President) |
Pancheros Mexican Grill is an American chain of fast casual restaurants. It serves Mexican-style food, like burritos and tacos. The restaurants are known for making fresh tortillas for every customer's order.
The company was started in 1992 by Rodney Anderson. He opened the first two restaurants near big universities. One was in Iowa City, Iowa, near the University of Iowa. The other was in East Lansing, Michigan, near Michigan State University. Today, there are 73 Pancheros restaurants across the United States.
The Story of Pancheros
In 1992, a man named Rodney Anderson decided to open his own restaurant. He had just finished his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Chicago. Using money he had earned from the stock market, he started Pancheros.
The first locations were opened in towns with large colleges. For the first few years, the restaurants grew popular with students.
A Fresh Idea
A big change came in 1998. Pancheros restaurants were updated with a new look. More importantly, they started using a special dough press. This machine lets them press a ball of dough into a fresh, warm tortilla right when you order your food. This became the most famous thing about Pancheros.
In 2006, the magazine Sports Illustrated called Pancheros the most popular late-night food spot in Iowa City.
Bob the Tool
In 2007, Pancheros introduced a mascot named "Bob the Tool." "Bob" is a special plastic spatula that the restaurant staff uses. It helps them mix all the ingredients inside a burrito together before they roll it up. This makes sure you get a taste of everything in every bite.
See also
- List of Mexican restaurants
