Dec 29, 2015, 12:57pm EST
Besito Mexican, an upscale chain with high ratings from The New York Times toZagat, is slated to open in Boca Raton this summer.
Hugh Connerty, CEO of the authentic Mexican eatery, told the South Florida Business Journal construction will begin shortly on the restaurant’s 6,800-square-foot space in Bank of America Tower at 150 E. Palmetto Park Road.
“We’re going for a different design to capture the South Florida feel,” Connerty said. “We’re really going to transform the outside with how we’re going to do the patios.”
Besito’s first Southeast Florida location will have about 200 seats indoors and outdoors, and a private dining component, Connerty said. Construction will be completed in about 26 weeks.
“We can’t wait to come to a market as strong and vibrant as Boca,” Connerty said, noting the area’s above-average incomes. The former CEO of Outback Steakhouse International added: “More and more every year Florida becomes a year-round living destination. It’s not just a winter home. It’s no longer just a seasonal type of restaurant scene. Every year it gets stronger. Boca is just a really good market for a white-table-cloth Mexican cuisine brand like ours.”
Besito offers traditional Mexican fare such as tortilla chips with guacamole dip, tacos, ceviche, enchiladas, margaritas, cocktails and tequilas. Besito has locations open in Tampa, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The brand was founded by celebrity restaurateur John Tunney in 2006.
Other tenants at Boca Raton’s Bank of America Tower include Zen Offices, Veretech Holdings and Charles Schwab & Company. The building is owned by Dividend Capital Diversified Property Fund, a public REIT.
