El Burrito Mercado

What El Burrito Mercado does

El Burrito Mercado is a family-owned Mexican food and grocery concept founded in 1979 in St. Paul, Minnesota by Tomas and Maria Silva, Mexican immigrants from Aguascalientes. From an 800-square-foot market, the business has grown into a multi-component destination at 175 Cesar Chavez Street that integrates a specialty grocery store (Mercado), meat market and deli, full-service restaurant, cantina bar, outdoor patio, catering operation, and food truck under a single roof, with the founder family recipes serving as the principal proprietary asset.

The company monetizes through seven distinct but co-located revenue streams: on-premise restaurant dining, grocery and deli retail, full bar service, private event rentals (La Placita Room up to 45-65 guests and Patio up to 80), multi-format catering (pickup, delivery, drop-off, full-service), food truck bookings for private events, and seasonal concessions at the Minnesota State Fair and CHS Field stadium. Pricing is variable by format — à la carte menu with happy hour specials, per-pound guisado pricing for catering, per-person plated entrees for events ($18/pp) plus room rental and F&B minimums — and ordering/payments run through Toast with the website powered by BentoBox.

The customer base spans local Twin Cities families and diners seeking authentic Mexican ingredients and prepared foods, event hosts, corporate catering buyers, school groups on cultural visits, and event/fair attendees. Ownership transitioned to the second and third generation (daughters Milissa and Suzie Silva with granddaughter Analita) in 2016, and the business is now pursuing modest expansion through a second location (former Pepito's site), expanded event programming, and new sports and fair concessions, even as it has trimmed operating hours amid economic and community pressures in late 2025.

Name

El Burrito Mercado

Legal name

El Burrito Mercado

Website

https://elburritomercado.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

El Burrito Mercado is a family-owned Mexican restaurant, specialty grocery, cantina, catering, and food truck operator founded in 1979 in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving Twin Cities diners, event hosts, corporate catering clients, school groups, and seasonal fair/stadium concessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mexican Restaurant and Specialty Grocery

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Latin American & Caribbean Grocery Stores (CRAHAFAG), Delis & Sandwich Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAF), Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)

Keywords

• Mexican restaurant
• Specialty Mexican grocery
• Event catering
• Food truck catering
• Private event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Full-service authentic Mexican restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus with dine-in service. Includes a cantina bar with alcoholic beverages.
2. Mercado/Grocery Store: Mexican grocery store offering specialty groceries, cooking spices, peppers, fresh produce, unique meats, deli items, imported gifts and home decor.
3. Catering Services: Catering menu with appetizers, taco bars, guisados, entrees, sides, desserts and drinks. Offers pickup, delivery, drop-off and full-service on-site catering options.
4. Food Truck: Mobile food truck catering for private events, celebrations and gatherings offering tacos, burritos, quesadillas with vegetarian and gluten-free options.
5. Private Event Venue Rental: La Placita Room (semi-private space for up to 45-65 guests), full patio rental (up to 80 people), and Fiesta Buffet, Taco Buffet, and Appetizer Buffet catering packages for events.
6. State Fair Vendor: Vendor at Minnesota State Fair International Bazaar selling Flauta Dippers, Café Chata beverages, and merchandise.
7. Sports Stadium Concessions: Community partnership with St. Paul Saints providing authentic Mexican food at CHS Field stadium for baseball games and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

El Burrito Mercado is a multi-concept Mexican destination selling authentic, made-from-scratch Mexican food and groceries. Its primary offerings are a specialty Mexican grocery (Mercado) with imported goods and a full deli/meat department, a full-service restaurant serving traditional guisados and dishes, and a cantina bar with margaritas and Mexican cocktails. Supporting paid offerings include catering (pickup, delivery, drop-off, and on-site), food truck events, and the La Placita Room and patio for private events.

Product overview

El Burrito Mercado is a family-owned Mexican marketplace established in 1979, operated by sisters Milissa and Suzie Silva and granddaughter Analita. The business operates as a multi-component offering centered around the Mercado (specialty grocery store) and the on-site restaurant serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Supporting services include catering (with pick-up, delivery, drop-off, and on-site options), private event hosting at La Placita Room, outdoor patio dining, a food truck for mobile events, school group programs, and annual participation as a vendor at the Minnesota State Fair. The business also includes a full bar (Cantina) with alcohol service. The portfolio integrates a traditional grocery market with full-service restaurant operations, event spaces, and mobile food services to provide a comprehensive Mexican cultural and culinary experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• El Burrito on Wheels: Food truck operation offering tacos, burritos, and quesadillas for catering at events
• La Placita Room

Products and services

• Mercado (Specialty Mexican Grocery Store) Specialty Mexican grocery offering imported goods, fresh produce, a premium meat market, cooking spices and peppers, a dozen salsas, deli items, and imported gifts and home decor from artisans in Mexico; for Twin Cities shoppers seeking authentic Mexican ingredients and cultural products.
• Restaurant Full-service Mexican restaurant serving authentic guisados, appetizers, and traditional dishes with multiple dining areas (restaurant section, cantina bar, and outdoor patio), available for lunch and dinner with dine-in and online ordering for pickup and delivery.
• Cantina / Bar Full bar service offering cocktails, cervezas, seltzers, and margaritas in El Bar with happy hour specials, plus limited outdoor bar service on the patio during event nights; for restaurant guests and patio visitors.
• Catering Catering service offering appetizers, taco bars, guisados, entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks with pickup, delivery, drop-off, and on-site full-service options, plus themed buffet packages (Fiesta Buffet, Taco Buffet, Appetizer Buffet) and per-pound guisado/meat trays in three sizes; for corporate events, weddings, showers, and private celebrations.
• Food Truck ("El Burrito on Wheels") Mobile food truck catering bringing Mexican food (tacos, burritos, quesadillas) to off-site private events, celebrations, and gatherings, with vegetarian and gluten-free options; for event organizers seeking on-site authentic Mexican service.
• La Placita Room Private Event Space Semi-private event space accommodating up to 45 guests (extendable to 65 by combining with the bar room) for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, and showers, with bundled catering via Fiesta Buffet, Taco Buffet, and Appetizer Buffet packages; for individuals and organizations hosting private events.
• Patio Outdoor patio seating for up to 80 people featuring a taco stand on event nights, an outdoor bar, and QR code ordering system; for general diners and private event attendees, with first-come, first-served seating on event days.
• School Groups Program Educational group visits offering cultural learning experiences and self-guided tour materials at the Mercado and restaurant, available Monday-Thursday during school hours with group size limited to 50 persons; for schools and educational groups.
• Minnesota State Fair Vendor Booth Annual vendor presence at the Minnesota State Fair in the International Bazaar selling Flauta Dippers (Chicken Taquitos) and Café Chata (espresso with horchata); for Minnesota State Fair attendees.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• St. Paul SaintscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership providing authentic Mexican food at CHS Field stadium. El Burrito Mercado serves Mexican food concessions during St. Paul Saints baseball games and events, featuring items like hot dogs, pizza, and dessert options with local partnerships and special value meals for fans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercado Central: Minneapolis-based Latin American marketplace combining food vendors, groceries, and casual dining under one roof. Most directly comparable peer: similar multi-concept Latin American market + restaurant format in the same Twin Cities metro, competing for the same culturally-driven customer base.
• Cossetta Alimentari: St. Paul Italian marketplace and full-service restaurant combining a market, deli, and eatery at a single address. Highly comparable operating model to El Burrito Mercado — same city, same multi-concept (market + restaurant) approach, same destination-dining positioning — but in Italian rather than Mexican cuisine.

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain with thousands of locations. Defines the broad-incumbent Mexican QSR/fast-casual competitive context against which El Burrito Mercado's authentic, full-service, family-recipe positioning is differentiated.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain owned by Apollo Global Management. Closest scaled analog in category positioning (Mexican fast casual vs. El Burrito Mercado's Mexican full-service), and a competitor for the same lunch and catering occasions in the Twin Cities.
• Moe's Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain under Focus Brands. Comparable in menu structure (burritos, tacos, quesadillas) and catering capabilities to El Burrito Mercado's restaurant and food-truck offerings.
• Taco Bell: Yum! Brands-owned Mexican QSR chain with thousands of U.S. locations. Defines the mass-market price point against which El Burrito Mercado competes on authenticity rather than price; also a competitor for catering, stadium, and State Fair-type high-volume occasions.
• El Pollo Loco: National Mexican-inspired chain specializing in flame-grilled chicken with Mexican sides. Broader incumbent competitor for the casual Mexican dining occasion in the Twin Cities, though differentiated by protein focus versus El Burrito Mercado's broader traditional Mexican menu.

Emerging players

• Panchero's Mexican Grill: Midwest-based (Iowa-headquartered) fast-casual Mexican chain with regional footprint including the Twin Cities. Closest scaled regional peer in category and geography, comparable in menu and price tier to El Burrito Mercado's casual catering and restaurant offerings.

Regional players

• Cárdenas Markets: Hispanic supermarket chain with locations primarily in California and other Western/Midwestern states. Comparable grocery-store component (specialty imports, fresh produce, meat market, deli) to El Burrito Mercado's Mercado, though at much larger chain scale and outside the Twin Cities.

Others

• Midtown Global Market: Minneapolis food hall housing independent ethnic food vendors including former El Burrito Mercado tenant (closed 2015). Relevant ecosystem peer for understanding the multi-vendor Latin American marketplace format and competitive context in the Twin Cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ElBurritoMercado
• Instagraminstagram.com/elburritomercado
• TikToktiktok.com/@elburritomercado?lang=en
• Xx.com/ELBURRITOM

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Burrito Mercado