A 66-year-old Mexican restaurant chain is opening its first U.S. location in the Greater Houston area. Los Cochinitos is bringing its signature pork-centric menu to the North Freeway in Spring, a design firm attached to the project told Chron.
There is already substantial buzz about the upcoming Los Cochinitos at 21005 Interstate 45 on social media. The address used to belong to a Bombshells restaurant. According to a permit filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, the project is a $300,000 renovation/alteration that started in May and ended a month later.
Matthew Broadbent of PK Remodel and Design told Chron that final inspections will happen in the next week or so, with an opening possible within the month.
“They are based out of Puebla, Mexico,” Broadbent said. “It will be the first store in the U.S. and they plan on growing and doing a lot of buildings out here.”
The cityscape of Puebla, Mexico. Los Cochinitos is building its first-ever U.S. restaurant in Houston. (Sergio Mendoza Hochmann/Getty Images)
The first version of Los Cochinitos was started in 1959 by two brothers in Central Mexico, according to the restaurant’s website. Like its name suggests, the restaurant chain is heavy on the pork; the menu features gorditas con chicharrón, carnitas, and sesos (brain).
Los Cochinitos has expanded to eight Mexican locations since its opening, with another location set to open in Monterrey. A Cochinitos USA is online and currently accepting job applications.
Meanwhile, another Los Cochinitos was listed at 14500 North Fwy., roughly six miles away, but Broadbent said that it is not related to the Spring location.
The old Bombshells at the Spring location was one of two Houston-area locations that closed less than a year ago. RCI Hospitality, which also owns Chicas Locas and Rick’s Cabaret, said the locations were underperforming.
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This article originally published at 66-year-old Mexican chain famous for pork opening location in Houston.