BAJA SOL EXPRESS COMES TO COLUMBUS
(Columbus, Ohio) - Baja Sol Restaurants Group, Inc. announced today that its Columbus, Ohio based franchisees, SCCIP, Inc. have signed a lease to build their first Baja Sol Express in Columbus, in addition to the three Baja Sol Grill & Cantina locations already in development.
The site, located on Hamilton Road, will be the first Baja Sol Express in Columbus. Baja Sol Express is a fast casual offshoot of the Baja Sol Grill & Cantina, offering counter service with a more limited menu. Baja Sol Express also offers margaritas, bottled beer and wine as well as the famous Endless Chips and Salsa Bar featuring eight fresh salsas and hot tortilla chips free with every entrée order.
“Baja Sol Express is a great way to get the Baja Sol experience for guests who are looking for a quick meal or more intimate setting,” said SCCIP CEO Chris Scott. “Baja Sol Grill & Cantina is a terrific destination restaurant where you can relax, celebrate and enjoy. Baja Sol Express is a natural extension of the concept – we’re providing a way for guests to get the freshest Mex under the sun no matter where they are or how much time they have.”
Baja Sol Express offers many of the same menu items and services that are offered at the full service Baja Sol Grill & Cantina: big burritos, including the signature Smothered Burrito, tacos, quesadillas, salads, desserts and alcohol. They also offer online ordering, catering and delivery for the convenience of their guests.
“Although Baja Sol Express is a fast casual restaurant,” added SCCIP partner Brian Cooper, “it’s definitely a step up from the typical Mexican fast casual out there. We have the same high quality standards as we do at the Baja Sol Grill & Cantina, with more menu variety than you’ll find other places, and of course we have the free Endless Chips and Salsa bar, which outclasses all the other concepts in the Mexican segment.”
SCCIP Inc. acquired three Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen locations in Columbus last December. They are currently in the process of converting the existing restaurants to Baja Sol Grill & Cantinas, a full service concept that stresses fresh ingredients, innovative recipes and contemporary environments.
BEST FREE CHIPS AND SALSA
The enjoyable act of eating free chips and salsa before a meal of Mexican food has never been so perfectly executed as at local chain Baja Sol. When giving away free chips and salsa, a restaurant really could get away with serving up some crappy chips from a bag and room-temperature Pace salsa. But Baja Sol puts a lot of pride in their chips and salsa. The all-you-can-eat (except, strangely, at Eden Prairie Center, where a strict one-dish limit is enforced) chips are cooked fresh throughout the day and kept warm for maximum tastiness. The thin, crunchy chips are never overly greasy, and since the cooks add just a hint of salt, they're delicious without salsa, too. But the real achievement of Baja Sol's chips is the salsa bar. They don't just have a basic sampling of hot, medium, and mild. They typically have half a dozen choices with various ingredients and flavors. During Christmas season, they'll even work up some cranberry relish to top your chips. It's free-chip heaven. Oh, and the entrées are good, too.