Fresh Tex-Mex
Fresh Mexican restaurant fills niche for Frisco diners
Frisco diners are about to get a fast-casual Mexican restaurant familiar to Dallasites: ZuZu Handmade Mexican Food will open in the northern suburb in March, at 5444 FM 423, in a new complex at Lebanon Road.
ZuZu's menu includes enchiladas, quesadillas, and fajitas, with house-made salsas in novel versions such as green tomatillo and roasted poblano red. Its signature item is grilled chicken.
The New York Times called ZuZu "a rare phenomenon, value packed, [with] delicious food that is healthy and authentic, all served up in sparkling clean atmosphere."
The first ZuZu Handmade Mexican Food opened in 1989 in Snider Plaza, with a healthy focus and fast-casual format that was ahead of its time. Original founders were Espartaco Borga and Horatio Lonsdale-Hands. Borga has since founded the La Duni chain, while Lonsdale-Hands' current project is Buda Juice.
Since 1993, ZuZu has reverted to family-owned and -operated; all branches are independently owned and can be found in various Texas cities, including Austin and Dallas. The Snider Plaza original has long been closed, but the location on Mockingbird Lane at Abrams Road has kept the torch burning.
The Frisco restaurant is being opened by Sherry Ghobadi and her brother-in-law Mo, who also own the one in Addison.
Sherry says that Frisco's family-oriented personality is the right fit for ZuZu. "Our food is good, healthy, and fresh," she says. "That location is brand-new construction, and there aren't many other restaurants in that area, so we feel like we'll be filling a need."
The store will be nearly identical to the one they already own in Addison. "About a year ago, we remodeled our Addison store, and we got it the way we like it, so we'll do the same thing in Frisco," she says.
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