Fast-casual Mexican concept Pancheros coming to Springfield

provided by DAVIS FRESH-MEX LLC

Veteran franchisee Dick Davis, owner of Davis Fresh-Mex LLC, received the Franchisee of the Year Award in 2024, his first year operating Pancheros restaurants after a shift from Taco Bell.

A new fast-casual Mexican restaurant franchise is entering the Springfield market with Republic Road property, and the franchisee says he’s eyeing the possibility of two to three more stores.

Dick Davis of Fulton, owner of Davis Fresh-Mex LLC, has signed a lease agreement and filed a commercial infill permit for a Pancheros Mexican Grill at Magers Crossing, 2100 W. Republic Road. The restaurant will occupy Suite 100, the property’s eastmost unit that formerly housed Smokin’ Bob’s BBQ LLC.

Pancheros has the tagline “Burritos Better Built,” a concept built around its practice of fresh-pressing handmade dough into tortillas that are made to order, according to its website.

Davis said what drew him to the brand was its fresh ingredients.

“I love the food,” he said. “I went there and ate and said, ‘Oh, yeah. I can do this,’” he said. “It’s good, fresh, healthy food, and there’s not a freezer in the building.”

That means a lot of prep work and cooking all day long, Davis said – a practice that differentiates the restaurant from most quick-serve options.

Davis knows a thing or two about quick-serve as a former Taco Bell franchisee who had 21 restaurants at the height of that business. He sold those and retired at the age of 62, he said, then played golf and enjoyed his grandkids.

“I was kind of always looking to get back into business,” he said. “I always loved it.”

Two years ago, Davis bought four central Missouri Pancheros restaurants, three in Columbia and one in Jefferson City. He said he recently opened a Rolla location.

“It’s quite a different concept than Taco Bell, but it’s a restaurant,” he said. “I know how to do that.”

Davis is 73 now, and he says his goal is to grow to 10-12 restaurants.

For his first Springfield store, he said he does not have a projected open date.

“My best estimate is December,” he said, noting he’s not quite finished with permitting. “Until we have a construction start date, I don’t know what the end date is going to be. I was hoping for a late-fall opening, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”

Davis graduated from then-Southwest Missouri State University in the 1970s and said he has always had a fondness for Springfield.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be in Springfield – I’m excited to be in that type of metro market,” he said.

He declined to disclose the terms or cost of his lease agreement with Magers Crossing LLC.

Davis anticipates hiring 20-25 full-time employees for about 35 workers total.

Davis’ son Joe, who attended Missouri State before graduating from William Woods University, is vice president of Davis Fresh-Mex.

In 2024, the first year of operation for the franchise, it won National Franchisee of the Year honors from Pancheros – an honor he credits largely to the food operations professionals he brought along from his Taco Bell days.

“We kind of nailed it – but we’re just getting warmed up,” he said.