Pair of cousins hope Laconia is hankering for some burritos

Late last year the city lost a landmark when Las Pinatas restaurant abruptly closed its doors at the historic downtown train station. But two young entrepreneurs have moved into the space and will soon open an eatery that they hope will become a favorite among local diners and tourists alike.

Cousins Reuben and Aaron Bassett, 24 and 29, are working to transform the Las Pinatas space into Burrito Me. They expect to open their restaurant in February.

"The Lakes Region needs more burritos," proclaimed Aaron, who grew up in Belmont and graduated from Laconia Christian School before moving to Boston where he worked as a computer programmer. After a few years, though, he realized that life wasn't a good fit for him. "I want to be more involved in my local community," he said. That's how he found himself living in Laconia and dreaming about what he could offer the city.

"I love to cook and I love burritos," he said.

For Reuben, who recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in business from Cedarville University in his native Ohio, the attraction was the entrepreneurship. "I always wanted to own my own business. I love small businesses." He said he thought about opening a sandwich shop, but the business student in him couldn't make a good case. "I figured there were a lot of those around."

The two cousins had been planning their venture for several months, holding burrito parties for dozens of their friends to develop their recipes. They had trouble finding the right place, though. They were sure they wanted to stay downtown, where they could enjoy the pedestrian traffic and visibility and the city center's historic architecture.

They thought they had found a suitable location on Main Street, but couldn't come to terms with the landlord. It was shortly after that negotiation fell through that they heard that Las Pinatas had closed. It was a piece of bittersweet news, especially for Aaron who was a patron of the eatery. On the other hand, they couldn't ignore the opportunity that the restaurant's closing presented. "It was a good thing for us," Aaron said. "I feel we fell right into it."

The depot location offers the perfect size for their casual dining concept, great visibility, historic architecture and outdoor seating. They are also happy to be located near the Winnipesaukee-Opechee-Winnisquam recreational trail, which is now open for use. "I don't think we could get a better location than this," said Aaron.

So then, the next question is, do Laconians harbor an unfulfilled hunger for burritos? It seems the answer is yes. They started a Facebook site, which has nearly 200 fans and growing — not bad for a restaurant that hasn't served a burrito yet. Some of the responses, from strangers to the Bassetts, are quite telling, such as "My prayers have been answered!"

So, with the concept apparently proven, it seems the success of Burrito Me will come down to execution.

Aaron said the cuisine will be "mission-style" as opposed to traditional Mexican. Burritos served at Burrito Me will have all of the ingredients — meat, cheese, vegetables, sauces — rolled into a tortilla and wrapped in foil, ready to be eaten on a plate or on the go.

The menu is still under development, but they've decided one thing: Burrito Me will focus on a relative few number of offerings instead of a menu that contains everything under the sun.

"We're more concerned with having quality food than quantity — a good small menu rather than a diverse mediocre menu," said Reuben. Diners should expect to have choices for burritos as well as tacos and quesadillas.

Aaron said the signature of Burrito Me will be food that is as fresh and homemade as it is uncomplicated. He said his philosophy is, "Start from scratch, take your time and let the ingredients do the talking."

When the ingredients do talk, they'll say "Aaron made me, and I have no idea what the inside of a can looks like." They'll buy their tortillas, but everything else will be created on site. They'll make their own salsas and guacamole, they'll grill their steak and chicken and they will roast their own pork fresh daily. Rice and beans will be dried and then cooked, no canned beans will be served at Burrito Me.

If that sounds like a lot of extra work, it is. But, Aaron said, "It's so worth it. Our burritos are good because we don't take any short cuts."

By lunchtime, Aaron and Reuben will have all the onions and tomatoes chopped and all the other preparation work done. Taking a cue from a national chain, the various ingredients will be arranged along a bar between the customer and the burrito-ista. The burritos will be made as the customer chooses which ingredients he or she feels like. "You can do it as custom as you want," said Aaron.

With no table service, Burrito Me aims to keep prices affordable, in the $5-8 range. Of course, this "casual dining" experience also means customers won't have to figure a tip into their lunch budget.

For now, the plan for Burrito Me's hours of operation will be open from 11 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday. That schedule might change slightly as customer interest dictates, but they have no plans to close down during the off-season.

Aaron and Reuben have a long list of tasks to accomplish before now and their opening day, but their excitement is building as that day nears.

Aaron said, "There's no burritos around, that's what we do."

"We have faith in our food," said Reuben.