BTB Burrito owners close unprofitable Packard location in Ann Arbor
After trying for nearly five years to turn a profit at its Packard Street location, BTB Burrito has closed the off-campus storefront.
Last Friday’s closing does not affect the other two BTB locations, said co-owner Adam Lowenstein. “We felt really horrible but we also felt it was a necessary move.” Lowenstein and business partner Justin Herrick own BTB.
The shuttered BTB, at 1906 Packard St., originally housed the company’s wholesale operation, and wasn’t converted into a retail location until 2005, Lowenstein said.
But the 900-square-foot store never generated the traffic needed to make money. At best, he said, there were months when it broke even, and even that hasn’t happened in a while.
“You can only lose money for so long,” Lowenstein said. “Our business model is based on volume and we never had the volume we needed.”
From left, Paul Drennan, Robbie Schulz and BTB co-owner Justin Herrick stand in BTB Cantina on South University. Purchasing The Alley last month didn't play a direct role in shutting down a BTB location.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
BTB has been on the fast track since it opened its first retail store at 810 S. State St. in 2004 and followed with the Packard Street location the next year. They bought Good Time Charley’s, a popular student bar, at 1140 S. University Ave. in 2007 and opened BTB Cantina above the bar. Last month, the partners bought The Alley Bar at 112 W. Liberty St. BTB dabbled in a franchising operation in East Lansing but that was eventually closed.
“We got to the point where we were expanding BTB too quickly,” Lowenstein said. Still, purchasing The Alley, a no-frills bar that caters more to the townie crowd than the student crowd, didn’t play a direct role in closing a BTB location.
“We’re dropping a piece of the puzzle that wasn’t profitable and we’re picking up a piece of the puzzle that we hope will be profitable,” Lowenstein said.
The partners had been operating their wholesale business, selling burritos to the University of Michigan under contract, out of the Packard kitchen. That contract ended in 2008, but they had been using the Packard store as a prep kitchen for the other locations. With the Packard store closing, all prep work will be done at the individual locations.
The Packard location’s 10 employees will be absorbed at the other locations, Lowenstein said.
The closing had been planned for a couple of months, Lowenstein said. But the space won’t sit vacant for long. Lowenstein and Herrick own the building and have leased the space to Elizabeth Marcano Kennedy, who will open Marcano’s, a takeout restaurant and catering operation specializing in South American food. Before BTB took over, the building housed a Cottage Inn Pizza.
Comments
avida2reader
Mon, Aug 23, 2010 : 12:28 p.m.
This is a major bummer and I'm going to lose my regular stop on my way home to work :( I agree with another poster that it's a shame they couldn't hang on longer. With the recent addition of Cake Nouveau, the Green products store opening and the soon to be open Medical Marijuana Dispensary there's lots more potential for foot traffic. I guess that will go to the new business! Especially glad to hear that no one lost a job - they staff at BTB was awesome!
LBH
Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
Hey BTB guys, you should take a look at the old Asian Fuzion spot on Washtenaw at Pittsfield. Could be a good location for Burrito fare.
Elizabeth Marcano Kennedy
Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 9:19 a.m.
Hola! Im Elizabeth Marcano-Kennedy, I read through the comments and wanted to introduce myself and to let you know that yes, I will be making fresh empanadas along with arepas, tequenos, chacitos and many other tasty South American foods. I plan on opening in October and serve breakfast along with lunch and dinner. I hope everyone is as excited as I am to have genuine South American foods in Ann Arbor, see you soon!
Poppy
Wed, Aug 18, 2010 : 6:50 a.m.
@annarbor.com - The photo attached to this story says they are standing in the Alley Bar. They are actually standing at the location on Hill St.
kms
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 10:02 p.m.
Oh noooo!!!! I agree with many of the other posters! I will totally miss this Packard St location as the other BTB's are too difficult to dine at due to the parking difficulties! Great food at great prices! So sorry to hear this news.
YouWhine
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 9:51 p.m.
That's a real bummer. There are a ton of burrito places in Ann Arbor and I thoght BTB was the best. I work in town and I ate there regularly. Unfortunately, there is not a chance I will try to eat at the State St location with no parking or the S. U location with no parking AND the cluster of idiot students going on. I will miss BTB.
mrk
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 4:18 p.m.
Nooooo! I loved this place, especially the nachos and the fresh salsa. I'll never go down to campus. Last time I tried to go to pizza house I got scared away by all of the drunken kids...
HENRYK
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 4:01 p.m.
I will miss this place, was great food and cheap. Parking was always a problem there so I rode my bike. Maybe the new place will be good too. Hope everyone keeps there jobs in the change.
A2artteacher
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 3:29 p.m.
Well that's a bit of a bummer. Although I can walk to the Packard site, the Hill st. location is not too far away, so I'll take the bike. I'm curious about the South American food. If there are fresh empanadas to be had, I am so there!
A2artteacher
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 3:29 p.m.
Well that's a bit of a bummer. Although I can walk to the Packard site, the Hill st. location is not too far away, so I'll take the bike. I'm curious about the South American food. If there are fresh empanadas to be had, I am so there!
Theresa Taylor
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 2:35 p.m.
BUMMER!! This BTB location was one of A2's best kept secrets. I guess that I'll have to brave the parking tickets in order to visit BTB on South U. Hang in there, guys!
Brent
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 12:21 p.m.
It's Brent, General Manager of BTB Burrito. We just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of our amazing customers! We are sad to let the BTB Packard location go, but we hope you'll all come visit us at State St and Cantina. The Packard staff you've come to know over the years are waiting to give you the same great service at our other locations. Thank you all for your patronage and for your kind words!
Jayzoh
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 12:05 p.m.
I live downstream off Packard just beyond the BTB site, so it's been on my daily drive and I will miss it sorely! On my way home from work I'd frequently stop in and order my favorite burrito, often calling ahead from the road so it would be ready to pick up: the very generous Classic BTB Deluxe, wrapped in whole wheat, with extra cilantro and two pots of extra hot salsa verde. A healthy, filling, fast and inexpensive dinner, and friendly servers and food preparers. My tendency toward guilt leads me to wonder whether perhaps it was my polite requests for extra cilantro and salsa, always generously given, that caused BTB to lose money at the Packard store? I shall sorely miss them! Good luck BTB, at all your other sites. You offer great food and you run a great operation; perhaps you'll come back one day to serve your loyal, hungry, under-served townies in the burbs. There's lots of space in the Georgetown Mall.
Renee
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 10:50 a.m.
I'm really disappointed that this location closed, but I'm happy that it was just the one store and not a bigger problem. I think this location introduced BTB to people who probably wouldn't have ventured to campus to try it otherwise, but I hope now that they have tried it, they'll visit the other locations.
the major
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 10:25 a.m.
Well I used to pick food up here 2 or 3 times a week. I'll miss the green salsa, tasty bean and cheese and all off the really nice guys and gal that worked there. My favorite order was a super bean and cheese deluxe with sour cream and green salsa on the side.
Brad
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 7:34 a.m.
I think they're pulling the plug a little prematurely. They should at least wait for the new nearby Pot Pharmacy to get going and see what that does for business. Seriously though, although my wife is a BTB fan I'm looking forward to the S. American option. Nothing wrong with BTB, just not a big burrito fan.
Ian Casselberry
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 7:24 a.m.
Sorry to BTB leave that location. And maybe it just wasn't practical, but parking always seemed to be a problem over there. More than three cars, and it was difficult. Having to back out onto a busy Packard Rd. wasn't always fun, either.
silverwings
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 7:19 a.m.
Great news about the new place! Lots of burritos around here, but South American food isn't so easy to find.
Mike Nowak
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.
We will miss BTB as a great place to walk to get dinner whn you were out of groceries or had enough Marco's pizza for one week. By the way, it used to be a Pizza Hut, not a Cottage Inn pizza place.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 6:43 a.m.
As a regular patron I will miss the giant burrito. Living in the Packard/Platt corridor I won't drive to State and Hill and try to park.