Restaurant stories

Restaurant stories: Pancho Villa 🌯💙

Named after the Mexican freedom fighter, Pancho Villa’s story began when its first restaurant was opened in Tammela, Tampere in the turn of the millennium. Today the chain is known by its generous portion sizes and a menu that’s been designed in the Mexican spirit, making it a favorite for family members of all ages. The creative director of the chain, Esa Huotari, helps make sure that "large portions and fair food for everyone" remains the main theme for the chain. The menu is extensive, but Huotari says that the Melted Double Cheese & Bacon burger in particular has found its way to their customers’ hearts. With two types of cheese, crispy bacon and Pancho Villa’s own chipotle mayonnaise, it’s a tough burger to beat. In regards to his personal favorite, Huotari says he prefers the You Name It burger, which is filled with breaded chicken and that was added to the menu when it was renewed. On this day, Pancho Villa has found its way to several cities around Finland with the help of skillful franchise entrepreneurs: currently the chain's restaurants can be found in over 25 cities. In addition to the entrepreneurs, the chain has roughly 500 amazing employees that take care of the restaurants’ cozy atmosphere and beloved meals every day. When asking Huotari about funny incidents, he recalls something related to one of their burgers. “A portion that makes both our customers and staff smile is the Lonely Rider burger, which we’ve heard many variations of from the mouth of Finns. It can be quite difficult for the average Finn to pronounce Lonely Rider, let alone five times in a row”, Huotari grins with a laugh.