Barrio Burrito Bar Readies Silver Spring Restaurant

Operators in Silver Spring's Plaza Del Mercado should prepare for a new fast-casual competitor in a former retail bay.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Vector-style editorial illustration of an empty retail bay under construction in a low-rise strip center, with bare framing and drywall sheets in coral, sage, and cream. — Barrio Burrito Bar is building its first Montgomery County restaurant in a former T-Mobile space at 2255 Bel Pre Rd in Silver Spring, with no opening date yet announced. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think new fast-casual chains improve shopping areas in your community?

Barrio Burrito Bar is nearing completion of its first Montgomery County restaurant, at 2255 Bel Pre Rd in Silver Spring's Plaza Del Mercado shopping center. The restaurant is taking over the former T-Mobile space between Kicks Karate and Total Image Salon, and an opening date has not yet been announced.

Why it matters

For operators in the Silver Spring area, the project signals a Toronto-founded fast-casual chain expanding its footprint in the Washington suburbs as it pursues a much larger U.S. network. The build-out in a repurposed retail bay shows how a national concept is entering a local strip-center market.

Barrio Burrito Bar operates more than 340 locations in Canada, the basis for its claim to be the country's largest Mexican food franchise, and has announced plans for more than 500 U.S. locations. The Silver Spring restaurant is its first in Montgomery County and second in Maryland, following a Baltimore-area opening.

The players

Barrio Burrito Bar

A fast-casual Mexican chain founded in Toronto in 2005 that is Canada's largest Mexican food franchise with more than 340 locations.

The details

The company was founded in Toronto in 2005 as barBURRITO Fresh Mexican Grill and expanded into the United States in 2020 under the BURRITOBAR name before rebranding as Barrio Burrito Bar in 2024. The Silver Spring site is a conversion of a former T-Mobile location, with construction progressing in phases after work was reported to begin in February 2026. Converting an existing retail bay rather than building new is a common approach for restaurant chains entering established strip centers.

Company rebranded as Barrio Burrito Bar in 2024.
Construction at the Silver Spring location was reported to be set to begin in February 2026.

Openings & Closings
Nov. 7
Lidl Takes Over Amazon Fresh Space in White Oak

Market Landscape

The Silver Spring opening is an early concrete step toward the company's stated plan to eventually reach more than 500 U.S. locations, a goal set after its 2020 entry into the American market. Its Canadian franchise base of more than 340 locations gives it a documented track record for the expansion model it is now applying in Maryland.

Operators of nearby restaurants and retail tenants in Silver Spring should expect a new fast-casual competitor once the location opens, with the date still unannounced. Landlords and brokers in multi-tenant centers may watch conversions of vacated retail bays as national chains take over existing space.

The takeaway

Track the announced opening date for the Bel Pre Rd location and compare it against the company's stated 500-location U.S. target to gauge the pace of expansion. Operators considering similar retail-bay conversions should review lease terms with a qualified commercial real estate attorney before committing.