Hugo Montanez felt a little like Goldilocks after moving from Pittsburgh.

Montanez, who moved to Pittsburgh from Mexico when he was 24, moved to the Upstate and was looking to get back into the restaurant business after having owned two restaurants with his brother. He spent time as general manager of a pizza restaurant in Greenville, but wanted to create something of his own.

Greenville was a recommended landing spot for Montanez and his wife, Antoinetta, but, as it often does, Spartanburg ended up being just right.

“Originally, we heard about Greenville and that’s what we wanted to do. Our realtor, he grew up in Spartanburg, so he kept telling us, ‘Spartanburg is growing, check it out,’” Montanez said. “And then my wife one day said, ‘let’s go take a look at Spartanburg.’ We came over and she fell in love.”

Montanez opened Burrito Hub earlier this year in the former McClellan’s Urban Eatery space at 253 Magnolia St., directly across the street from the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

Burrito Hub is similar to Chipotle or Moe’s, featuring fast-casual Mexican food for dine-in or carry-out. Montanez said the carry-out option is especially popular with Courthouse workers during the lunch rush.

The restaurant features the typical faire you’d expect – burritos, tacos, quesadillas – made with fresh meats and ingredients. Specialty guacamole – one with mango and cucumber and another with pork and cheese – have become popular signatures of Burrito Hub, serving as a specialty appetizer.

The restaurant is still working to build a dedicated crowd for dinners, Montanez said. But, so far, Burrito Hub has found a footing with local diners.

“I had always been in full-service and this is the first time we did over the counter. We wanted to make sure everything was ready for this,” he said. “Little by little, we’ve been building up. People have been responding pretty good, pretty good reviews. I mean, people are coming back. Very supportive here in Spartanburg.”

Montanez said he hopes the restaurant continues building a loyal fanbase in Downtown Spartanburg. He also said he has his eyes on growth opportunities. But, the time Montanez and his wife have put into Spartanburg has had a significant impact on them, and someday, they’d like to have a significant impact on Spartanburg.

“I’m very into supporting local, keep it here, you know what I mean? I want to give back to Spartanburg,” he said. “If we grow the way we want to grow, we’ll likely do a headquarters here.”

Don’t miss the chance to enjoy the fresh food Burrito Hub brought to Downtown Spartanburg! Burrito Hub is set to host the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s Let’s Do Lunch networking event on Dec. 5 from 12-1:30 p.m.

More information can be found here.