Phat Burrito officially coming back to Charlotte soon after closing 6 years ago. What to expect.
A beloved local restaurant will be returning to Charlotte years after closing. Phat Burrito, a Southwestern restaurant that originally opened in 1998, will be opening in a new space soon. The doors of its iconic yellow and blue building were previously closed in 2017.
Despite its popularity, the former owner closed the restaurant not because of another bigger restaurant taking over — but because of growth and redevelopment around South End.
To give some context, when Phat Burrito originally opened in the ‘90s, dishes cost about $1.50 to $4.50, the city’s population was under 700,000 and South End was nearly a decade away from having a light rail in the area, CharlotteFive previously reported.
When it closed about two decades later, more office buildings, apartments and businesses were popping up, including the RailYard. So at a time when South End was booming, many local residents were sad to see Phat Burrito go.
That’s why the new owner, Michael Cox, is excited to bring it back.
“My hope is that guests feel like they are stepping in the same Phat Burrito they know and love in a new location,” Cox told CharlotteFive.
The plans to reopen Phat Burrito have been in the works since 2021, but Cox says he anticipates opening the new location sometime in mid to late August.
“As Charlotte continues to grow and continues to be a powerhouse nationally, keeping these local restaurants is crucial,” he told CharlotteFive when he originally announced reopening Phat Burrito. “We’ve lost so many great ones.”
Similar to the original Phat Burrito, there will be build-your-own burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas on the menu, along with other sides like guacamole, queso and salsa.
An official opening date has yet to be announced. Check back and we’ll update when we know more.
Phat Burrito
Location: LoSo Village, 3543 Dewitt Ln, Charlotte, NC 28217
Cuisine: American, Southwestern
Instagram: @phatburrito
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