Chattanooga Has Fun 2.5

5591 Highway 153, Suite 160
Chattanooga, TN 37343
Phone:(423) 877-1880
Website: Blue Coast Burrito

At first glance, Blue Coast Burrito could be one of any number of “build your own Cal-Mex” joints.  You start at one end of the counter and make your way to the checkout, designing your perfect burrito/taco/insert-Cal-Mex-dish here, adding veggies, sauces and all the accoutrements as you go.

But wait!  Here’s where it gets fresh, no… really, fresh… Blue Coast Burrito employees arrive every morning at 8:30 and make the salsas and dressings fresh… ALL of them.  Everything from their Pineapple Salsa to Nan’s Ranch Dressing is made fresh daily in their kitchens.  And it’s not only the salsas and sauces; they trim all the meats themselves and marinate them, then grill it up right here in their restaurants.  None of that processed pre-made, packaged food for them!

When asked what makes his restaurants different from others of the same ilk, Richard Martin, owner of both local Blue Coast Burritos, says, “The processes are all very similar.  There are certain things the others do that we don’t and vice versa.  I think the key component that makes us different from our competitors is the fact that everything we do is done fresh, we make it fresh and that’s something our competitors can’t say.  To me that’s important.  And, also that it’s locally owned by someone who was born and raised in Chattanooga and still lives in the area, and is just committed to this area and helping it grow and develop.”

Martin, a local boy who grew up in what was known as Ridgedale, has been involved in the restaurant industry for more than 18 years, working for different companies in various capacities.  So how does someone go from working in restaurants to owning two of their own by age 35?  “I ended up responding to an ad, going to Nashville, where the company is based out of.  I met with officials there, and it took about a six or eight month process doing investigation into the company and the franchising opportunity to make sure it was the right step for us to take and secured the site, and built the first store.  Then last year opened store number two.”

Martin believes in Chattanooga. Not only is he scouting locations for a potential third store, but he truly is committed to giving back to the community that helped raise him.   Like many restaurants, Blue Coast Burrito is inundated with requests from charities, and Martin tries to help all he can.  Blue Coast Burrito provides gift certificates for door prizes to more than 50 local charities a year.  For the last two years, BCB has been a premier sponsor of the St. Jude School Golf Tournament; and Martin himself has participated in the MDA Lock-up twice as well.   Says Martin, “This is something that is very close to my heart.  I try to do everything I can for different causes like MDA, all the way down to participating with local schools.”

The folks at Blue Coast Burrito take care of the community and the community appears to be taking care of Blue Coast Burrito in return.  Since opening the first Blue Coast Burrito in Hixson, Martin has been able to open a second location downtown in Warehouse Row.  They’ve expanded to include a booming catering business and have recently added lunchtime delivery from their Warehouse Row location through www.dinnerdeliveredonline.com.  Within the next two months, lunch and dinner delivery will be available in Hixson as well.

So the next time, you’re in the mood for a taste of Baja cuisine, cruise on in to one of Blue Coast Burrito’s two locations, and design your own FRESH Cal-Mex Creation.

Blue Coast Burrito is located at 5591 Hwy 153 in Hixson, (423) 877-1880, or in Warehouse Row on Market Street downtown, (423) 755-0680.
www.bluecoastburrito.com