Bubbakoo’s Burritos To Open 5 Tampa Bay Restaurants

TAMPA BAY, FL — Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a build-your-own burrito concept that touts Mexican food fused with American flavor, is planning to five locations in Tampa Bay.

The New Jersey-based franchise has signed a development agreement with local restauranteurs Mike Goodwin and Tracey Garrison to open five restaurants within the next four years. Though exact addresses have yet to be announced, the pair are looking at both suburban and downtown real estate, with a focus on Tampa and Brandon for the first two locations.

Other areas under consideration are Plant City, Riverview, Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel for the remaining three.

No strangers to the local restaurant scene, Goodwin owns two of the O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill sports bars in the Tampa area - one in Plant City and the other in Wesley Chapel. Together, Goodwin and Garrison own Tampa Joe’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, 9316 Anderson Road in Tampa.

“Tampa’s food scene is ever-evolving, with more great things coming in every day, positioning it as one of the leading destinations for food lovers from all over the world,” said Goodwin. “We are confident that Bubbakoo’s will be a welcome addition to the area’s unique culinary culture. No other restaurant, fast-casual chain or taco stand offers quite the variety, quality or the unique hybrid skater-surf atmosphere that can be found at Bubbakoo’s Burritos.”

The variety and quality of food is what really sets Bubbakoo’s apart, Goodwin said, noting that beyond “standard Mexican fare” like ground beef and chicken, Bubbakoo’s protein choices include hibachi-grilled steak and shrimp and hand-shredded carnitas. As for chicken, guests have four options: crispy fried, crispy buffalo, marinated and grilled, and salt-and-pepper shredded. Non-meat options include bean and cheese or vegan Boca patty.

Guests use their selected protein to build burritos or bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos or taco salad, or to top a proprietary menu item called a Chiwawa, which is a deep-fried, softball-sized, panko-crusted cheesy rice ball.

A selection of eight sauces – ranging in flavor and heat from Southern-style barbecue to sweet chili and ghost pepper – are available to taste.

Bubbakoo’s also offers a variety of sides including curly fries, tater tots, jalapeño poppers and Southwest egg rolls. And there’s a proprietary dessert called Love Chips, which features fried flour tortillas sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with caramel or raspberry sauce.

“When people get a taste of our product and really see how unique it is, they will understand we’re not an imitation Chipotle,” Garrison said. “Everything we do will be different. There’s not a lot of places that have a hibachi steak and shrimp burrito or a crispy buffalo chicken burrito. There will be so many different flavor profiles in our food.”

Founded in 2008, the local expansion plans come at a time when Bubbakoo’s continues to rapidly expand its national footprint. Today, there are more than 30 restaurants open and operating in four states. In addition, development deals have been signed for nearly 30 additional locations throughout New Jersey, New York, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee.