Freebirds World Burrito
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Freebirds World Burrito (often just Freebirds) is a chain of burrito restaurants in Texas. Originally set up by owner Pierre Dube across the street from the campus of Texas A&M University in 1990, it has since expanded to eleven locations in Texas.
Freebirds is often credited with popularizing the trend of "large burrito" restaurants, that feature burritos made from 11-inch or greater tortillas, with an assortment of meats, cheeses, vegetables and sauces. Similar franchises that were founded after Freebirds include Chipotle Mexican Grill (in 1993) and Qdoba Mexican Grill (in 1995). Both Chipotle and Qdoba have grown more quickly than Freebirds (which was originally limited only to the College Station area).
Unlike its competitors, Freebirds has maintained staunch customer loyalty. Many people credit the quality and uniqueness of the food, as well as the atmosphere. The food features options unavailable at other burrito restaurants, including Freebirds' "Bad-Ass Barbeque Sauce" and "Death Sauce," a super-spicy sauce. The atmosphere also encourages having fun, with each restaurant featuring a mock of the Statue of Liberty riding a full-sized Harley-Davidson motorcycle hanging from the ceiling while holding one of Freebirds' signature burritos. Aluminum foil sculptures along the walls are created from the same foil used to wrap the burritos.
Since many of their patrons were students from Texas A&M, that loyalty was continued as Freebirds built franchises in cities with large concentrations of A&M alumni (Dallas, Houston and Austin at first; Fort Worth has since been added). The popularity of the restaurants is staggering, with 1,700 burritos being sold on the Dallas franchise's opening day alone. Wait times of over an hour are not uncommon, especially following Texas A&M home football games.
External link
- Freebirds World Burrito (http://www.freebirds.com/)