Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina restaurant in Maumee is the latest of 10 business ventures for Sean Falk, a veteran of the U.S. Marines and native of Monroe, Mich.

Falk and seven partners, operating as Nacho Gang LLC, opened the only Salsarita’s in Ohio in June. The group plans to open at least two more cantina restaurants in the Toledo area in the next few years but are just beginning to “window shop for locations now,” he said.

Sean Falk

“The store has been incredibly well-received by our customers based on their direct feedback and on customer comment cards,” Falk said.

Guests can create a made-to-order meal from a Mexican menu that features burritos, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, tortilla-crust pizzas and soups and salads. Guests can choose from beef, chicken, grilled steak or shrimp, or shredded beef or pork and a choice of 13 fillings, including fresh vegetables and homemade salsas.

Lunch is the specialty at Salsarita’s, with meals costing from $5 to $9 that include the main Mexican item served with nacho chips, made fresh daily on site, and a beverage.

“It’s the fastest-growing restaurant segment, and fresh Mex is the most popular food category in the restaurant business. We think it’s a successful combination,” Falk said. “We’re family-friendly, but we have a full-service bar.”

Salsarita’s offers catering for birthday parties, family gatherings and private parties hosted at the restaurant or anywhere else. Staff delivers a completely prepared menu of food and drinks.

The business has 12 employees and with four working full time and eight part-time employees. The Maumee restaurant is one of the chain’s larger units, with 2,800 square feet and seating for 90 people.

Salsarita’s has 78 restaurants in 18 states and expects to end the year with 100 locations. It plans to reach 200 restaurants by 2010, with 90 percent of them being franchises like the one operated by Falk and partners.

When it came time to venture into the restaurant business, Falk decided to seek additional investors in order to expand quickly enough to establish a presence in the Toledo market.

Falk recruited several partners, including Felicia Falk, Joel and Colleen Whalen, Gregg Yaeger, Kristin Donovan and Ty and Kirsten Dimeff. The Walens and Yaeger have operated Yaeger Shoe stores in Toledo and Monroe for many years.

“We probably looked at about 25 opportunities before we decided on Salsarita’s. It was like an onion in a way in that it had many layers, and after every layer we peeled back, we just liked the concept more,” Falk said.

“I always wanted to have my own business. It involved finding the right one at the right time 10 years ago and building from there.”

The right time came in 1998, when Falk purchased a Mrs. Fields franchise in Monroe after he left  the Marine Corps as a captain. He served five years in active duty and three in the reserves.

Falk served as an infantry platoon commander in the first Desert Storm and commander of a search and rescue unit in Bosnia. He joined the Marines from the ROTC program when he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.

“I’m faced with challenges every day, and the military taught me to remain calm and look at every angle available to develop a plan and solve the problem at hand,” Falk said. “No matter what field one may be in, it is extremely important to keep a level head and project a positive image to those around you.”

Later that year, he bought a Pretzel Time shop, which led to owning three Pretzel Time shops, two Mrs. Fields cookie stores and four Great American Cookie locations as the sole proprietor.

Falk operates Great American Cookie stores at Fallen Timbers in Maumee and one in Findlay. He runs Mrs. Fields stores in Monroe and Sandusky. He also operates three various locations in Kentucky.

“With 10 businesses, I have to do a lot of juggling and prioritizing, but it’s all worth it because every ounce of work that I put in will have a direct impact on my future,” Falk said.

Visit www.salsaritas.com for more.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Entrepreneurs, Toledo Business Link.
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