Mojo to narrow expansion plan

It's either Hixson or East Brainerd, but one of the two is getting their Mojo.

Eve Williams, co-owner of Mojo Burrito, said she is trying to decide between space in Hixson or East Brainerd for a third location for the Tex-Mex restaurant that also will offer catering service.

"I think either location would be good," she said. "We've done enough research. Now it's just getting down to the business of deciding which is best."

Mojo Burrito currently has restaurants in St. Elmo and Red Bank, but Ms. Williams thinks she is ready for another.

The East Brainerd location would likely be in a shopping center, at the corner of East Brainerd and Jenkins roads.

In Hixson, Ms. Williams said she is considering space in the TJ Maxx center, which is part of the Northgate Mall complex and managed by the Chicago-based General Growth Properties.

Joe Janesko, general manager of Northgate Mall, said he is aware Ms. Williams is considering a new location there and feels it would be an excellent choice.

"Eve Williams is a very astute business woman, and I'm sure whatever decision she makes will be a good one," Mr. Janesko said.

Todd Gaither, president of the Brainerd/East Brainerd Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said he believes Mojo Burrito will be a perfect fit for the 1414 Jenkins Road shopping center that already houses Lupi's Pizza.

"I think that would be a perfect spot for them," he said. "Folks in East Brainerd have embraced Lupi's, and a Mojo Burrito would be very exciting."

Court records show General Growth Properties is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which Ms. Williams said initially made her nervous and caused her to back out of any plans to locate there, but the company contacted her again to reassure her the business is sound.

Ms. Williams said she is unsure which location will be best for the restaurant, but she hopes to make a decision and reach a deal with the property owner soon.

"It's time to negotiate to see what is the best location for us," she said.

Even is a slumping economy, Ms. Williams doesn't feel it is a risky move.

"The economy has been good to me. The recession has been my friend," she said. "The company is really healthy right now."

Ms. Williams declined to discuss Mojo's revenues.

The owners of the restaurant were not looking for another location, but things just fell into place.

The lender for the restaurant called to let the owners know about federal stimulus funds that are available for small businesses that can create jobs in certain fields.

Ms. Williams said the new location will create between 20 and 30 jobs that are a mix of both full- and part-time.

She is confident the new location will be better than an expansion attempt on Market Street in 2005 that coincided with the closure of the Market Street bridge.

The restaurant closed its Market Street location after only a year and opened the Red Bank space.

Ms. Williams said she has learned from the failure.

"All my failures are going to fuel my future," she said. "I feel really good we survived the downtown (venture). We lost a lot of money, but we are getting our wind back."

MOJO BURRITO

* Current locations: 3815 St. Elmo Ave. (since July 2002), 1800 Dayton Blvd. (since December 2006)

* Possible expansion: 1414 Jenkins Road (East Brainerd), Northgate Mall area (Hixson)

Source: Mojo Burrito