Author: fajitapetescom

Convenience with a side of fajitas

As fajita delivery phenomenon Fajita Pete’s opens their doors in Telfair, local influencers weighed in: What is in demand today in Sugar Land?

“More curbside and delivery options for busy families,” says influencer group @SouthHoustonMoms. “Not only is the population growing, but people are always looking for a unique dining experience.”

Food blogger @BougieLifeFoodie points to alcohol delivery, citing growing buzz on social media. “In the food groups, that’s a big deal and people are loving it.”

Houston foodie couple @dashamfoodiecouple casts their vote for more healthy options.

Manjul Agrawal plans to bring all of the above–and more—to the Fajita Pete’s – Telfair location at 13425 University Blvd. This will be the 30th restaurant for the brand and the second for Agrawal, whose deep ties to the Sugar Land community are just one reason he wanted to bring fajita delivery to Telfair’s thriving food scene and skyrocketing business population. 

“My family and I have called Sugar Land home for more than three decades,” says Agrawal. He explains that as a restaurant owner, two of his biggest priorities are convenience and flexibility. “We have a streamlined menu which makes curbside pickup or delivery fast and easy. Ordering is even simpler with our digital app and guests can receive loyalty rewards with each order.” 

This group of local food influencers are in agreement about one thing: when it comes to the Sugar Land food scene, there is no shortage of diversity. 

“It’s literally a melting pot of cultures in our own backyard,” says food blogger @tastewithtee. “I’ve had tons of friends from Los Angeles to Vegas to Austin to Dallas say that Houston is so unique in regards to the hospitality industry.”

“We learned how to eat Tex-Mex here,” agrees Pedro “Pete” Mora, the founder and namesake of Fajita Pete’s. Mora’s family immigrated to Houston from Colombia when he was young, attending Alief High School, working his way through college, and opening his first restaurant at the age of 23. “In Colombia, my mother always used pineapple in her recipes. That’s something we use to this day at Fajita Pete’s.”

Giving Back

Agrawal’s vision for his stores goes far beyond the kitchen. “I envision Fajita Pete’s not only becoming the primary provider of classic Tex-mex fares for the professional community, but also hosting Spirit Nights to raise funds for school organizations and donating gift cards and meals for local fundraising efforts.”

Agrawal wasted no time getting involved with the Sugar Land community, taking time out of the restaurant’s hectic training week to feed the staff at Clements High School before his restaurant was even open. 

And once the restaurant was open, the Fajita Pete’s – Telfair team provided meals that had Boys and Girls Clubs from Stafford, Fort Bend, and Richmond clubs raving. “And we loved how convenient it was to have the meal individually packaged,” noted Tammy Brown, Club Director at the Stafford Boys & Girls Club. 

“I tell every franchisee with Fajita Pete’s, there are no shortcuts to being part of a community,” says Mora. “But every day is an opportunity to take care of people with great food. Trust is earned one order at a time, one delivery at a time, and one customer at a time. And at the end of the day, it’s all worth it.” 

What is Fajita Pete’s? 

Boldly designed for off-premise dining, Fajita Pete’s has proven that Tex-Mex catering and delivery is here to stay. The brand recently earned a spot on QSR Magazine’s 40/40 List: America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals and was named one of QSR’s Best Franchise Deals for 2021, and the 2022 Fast Casual Movers and Shakers list, in addition to snagging two first place finishes at the Houston Fajita Festival.

“In Austin, it is impossible to sit down at a restaurant on a Friday evening at a reasonable time.” 

This observation comes as no surprise to residents of the booming metro, but serial entrepreneur and University of Texas alum Michael Blalock aims to bring a solution to frustrated Austin residents.

In the past decade, Austin has grown by over half a million residents, earning the title of the nation’s fastest-growing large metro area. This new reality has brought about new challenges for the foodie community.

“The city is always wanting something new,” says food blogger Austin Eater. Yet, like many other growing cities, consistent food quality, service and convenience have become nearly impossible for traditional restaurants to achieve. “It can be frustrating as a consumer.”

Enter an unlikely hero—the self-proclaimed fajita fanatics of Fajita Pete’s, a streamlined fajita takeout concept with over 25 locations open in Houston and Dallas.

“In Austin, there’s a spirit of adventure, and a real need for great takeout and delivery options,” says Blalock, citing just a few of the reasons he chose to champion Fajita Pete’s in Austin. 

Blalock’s first Austin location is now open at 5523A Balcones Dr, but Blalock doesn’t plan to stop there. Named one of America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals for 2020 and one of 2021’s Best Franchise Deals, Fajita Pete’s raving fan base and an efficient brick and mortar footprint afford multi-unit franchisees like Blalock the unique position to quickly multiply the pandemic-resistant powerhouse brand. Blalock shares that there are already five more area locations in the works and long-term plans for a dozen or more. 

“My family and I were fans of Fajita Pete’s for a long time before I became a franchisee,” Blalock says. “It instantly became our go-to for family gatherings, for tailgates, for office parties—and it’s an honor to bring this option to Austin.” 

Why fajitas? 

Many consider fajitas a traditional, time-consuming, and strictly sitdown experience (complete with a sizzling skillet), but Fajita Pete’s founder Pedro “Pete” Mora has no problem deviating from fajita tradition. 

“At Fajita Pete’s, it’s not about flair. It’s about quality and convenience. Period.” 

Mora founded Fajita Pete’s in 2008, flipping the script and slashing the notoriously complex Tex-Mex menu to streamline operations for takeout, delivery, and catering.

“We picked the best handmade Tex-Mex recipes for travel. You may have had fajitas,” Mora says, “but you’ve never had them like this in the comfort of your own home or office.” 

“For me, it’s exciting when people try Fajita Pete’s for the first time,” Blalock says. “Whatever you’re expecting, we’re going to surpass your expectations. We’ll stop at nothing to be your go-to place for fajitas.”

Giving back to the community 

In keeping with Fajita Pete’s tradition, Blalock wasted no time connecting with local Austin community organizations to find an opportunity to give back.

Four days before the restaurant officially opened its doors, Fajita Pete’s donated $2,500 to the Neighborhood Longhorns Program, which offers economically disadvantaged 2nd through 8th graders the opportunity to envision attending college through incentives and scholarships. The store also pledged 100 meals to feed the entire staff at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Austin who provide after school programs, vocational training and mentorship to thousands of area youth. 

“Being part of Fajita Pete’s has been a blast, with a lot of hard work and incredibly rewarding interactions,” says Blalock. “And, of course, a lot of queso for me on a personal level.”

About Fajita Pete’s

Fajita Pete’s is Flavor That Delivers. A natural category disrupter amongst Tex-Mex and takeout alike, Fajita Pete’s spent over a decade perfecting the handmade Tex-Mex delivery model. Unapologetically designed for off-premise dining, and under the humble leadership of Pedro “Pete” Mora, this streamlined fan-favorite fajita concept is poised to make fajitas famous throughout the nation. Fajita Pete’s currently has an ‘open and awarded pipeline’ of over 100 units across Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois and Arizona.

The brand earned a spot on QSR Magazine’s 40/40 List: America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals for 2020 and was named one of QSR’s Best Franchise Deals for 2021. Fajita Pete’s was also twice awarded first place at Houston’s Fajita Festival and outside of Texas was recently named Best Fajitas in Kansas City. 
Markets open for development include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. For more information, visit franchisefajitapetes.com and follow Fajita Pete’s on Facebook @fajitapetestx and Instagram @fajitapetes.

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: The Fajita Pete’s Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is only open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry.  Employees of the Sweepstakes sponsor, Fajita Pete’s (the “Sponsor”), their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers and their immediate family members, and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in the Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void in Florida, New York, Rhode Island, and where prohibited by law.

2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, you, the participant (“you”), agree to be fully and unconditionally bound by these Sweepstakes rules (“Rules”), and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein. In addition, you agree to accept the decisions of Sponsor, as final and binding as they relate to the Sweepstakes. 

3. How to Enter: You may enter the Sweepstakes by commenting on the post and including a tag via the Fajita Pete’s Facebook platform at https://www.facebook.com/fajitapetestx or on the corresponding advertisement. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the Rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Sponsor.   You may enter the Sweepstakes only once, regardless of the method of entry.  Should you submit an entry more than once or attempt to enter the Sweepstakes more than once, including without limitation submitting entries by using multiple email addresses, identities, devices, or the like, you shall be disqualified and ineligible to win. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the Rules, you shall be disqualified and ineligible to win.    As an alternative method of entry, you may email marketing@fajitapetes.com.  You may not submit both email and social media entry. 

4.  Sweepstakes Period and Deadline to Enter: The Sweepstakes shall begin on Friday, February 11, 2022 and shall end on Sunday, February 13, 2022.   All entries must be received by Sponsor by Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 11:59 am Central Time.

5. Prizes: Winners will receive a gift card in the amount of $129.99. The verifiable retail value of the article is approximately $129.99. Any and all prize related expenses shall be the sole responsibility of the prizewinner. Winners are solely responsible for any and all taxes associated with the prizes.  Prizes are nontransferable and cannot be redeemed for cash.  No prize substitutions are allowed except by Sponsor, who may award a prize of equal or greater value.   

6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

7. Winner selection and notification: Winners of the Sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing under the supervision of the Sponsor on Sunday, February 13, 2022. Winners will be notified via direct message on Facebook profile used for entry (or email used for entry). Sponsor shall have no liability for a winner’s failure to receive an email notice, regardless of the reason, including without limitation failures due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winner providing incorrect or otherwise inaccurate contact information. If a selected winner cannot be contacted, fails to claim the prize within 15 days from the date that the award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration of eligibility and release as required by Sponsor, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected, at Sponsor’s sole discretion. 

The receipt by each winner of the prize offered in this Sweepstakes is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY ANY WINNER (AS DETERMINED BY SPONSOR IN SPONSOR’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

 8. Rights granted to Sponsor: By entering this Sweepstakes, you grant Sponsor, anyone acting on behalf of Sponsor, or its respective licensees, successors and assigns  the right (but without obligation) to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or later developed, your name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image, statements about the Sweepstakes, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without any further compensation to you, unless prohibited by law.

9. Irregularities: If, for any reason, the promotion is not capable of running as planned, including technical failures, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor (each, an “Irregularity”), which affects the administration, security, fairness, or integrity of this promotion, Sponsor, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Sweepstakes.   In the case of an Irregularity, Sponsor may select the winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the Irregularity. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or website, or who violates these Rules.

Sponsor has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Sweepstakes and to void entries that do not comply with the Rules, including multiple entries submitted by the same individual. Any attempt by you or any participant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

10. Limitation of Liability: By entering and participating in this Sweepstakes, you release and hold harmless Sponsor and its subsidiaries, affiliates, related entities, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, officers, directors, representatives, agents, and employees from any and all liability for illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage (“Harm”) that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, arising from or in connection with the Sweepstakes or any prize won, including without limitation such Harm arising from (i) your participation in the sweepstakes and/or your acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (vi) the announcement of a prize winner, or any error that may give an erroneous indicator the prize has been won. Sponsor is not responsible for stolen, lost, illegible, mutilated, postage due, misdirected, delayed or late entries.  Sponsor is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether such errors are caused by typographical errors, postal errors, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of entries in the Sweepstakes.

11.  Disclaimer of Warranties:  SPONSOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, CONCERNING THIS SWEEPSTAKES OR PRIZES.  SPONSOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGFEMENT.  ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES THAT MAY BE IMPOSED BY APPLICABLE LAW ARE LIMITED IN ALL RESPECTS TO THE DURATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES.  IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES OR ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OR OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DIRECT OR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  The above disclaimers do not apply in states where prohibited.

12. Disputes: This Sweepstakes is governed by the laws of United States and Texas, without respect to conflict of law doctrines. As a condition of participating in this Sweepstakes, you agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Harris County, Texas. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will you be permitted to obtain awards for, and you hereby waive all right to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, and you further waive all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

13. Email Newsletters and Advertising:  By entering the Sweepstakes, you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from Sponsor. You may opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter.

14. Privacy Policy:  Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on Sponsor’s website at https://fajitapetes.clutch-wp.com/corporate/privacy-policy.This Sweepstakes complies with the CAN-SPAM Act.

15. Winners List: To obtain a copy of the list of winners, mail your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Fajita Pete’s, 15995 N Barkers Landing Rd Suite 111, Houston, TX 77079, USA. Requests must be received no later than November 1, 2021.

16. Sponsor Address:  Fajita Pete’s, 15995 N Barkers Landing Rd Suite 111, Houston, TX 77079, USA.