FSR August 2023

On the Rise BY SATYNE DONER

Growing from the Ground Up Los Dos Potrillos is

opening Colorado’s first hybrid fast-casual Mexican restaurant. JOSE RAMIREZ, the seventh of 15 children, came to the U.S. from Mexico in search of a better life for his family. His goal was to open a restaurant, and after years of saving and sleeping in his car after grueling shifts at work, he was able to do so. He named his restaurant Los Dos Potrillos—or “the two colts” in English—after his sons, Luis and Dan iel Ramirez. When the first Los Dos Potrillos

opened its doors in 2002, the “now open” sign was tied onto a pole; Jose did not have a ladder to hang it properly. He was running a restaurant with a dream and only $5.18 in his bank account. His sons Luis and Daniel Ramirez are true restaurant kids—they ate, slept, and had birthday parties at the Centennial,

ESTABLISHED: 2002 COFOUNDERS: Jose, Luis, and Daniel Ramirez HQ: Centennial, Colorado CATEGORY: Mexican UNITS: 6

BY 2028, THE RAMIREZ BROTHERS WANT TO EXPAND IN COLORADO WITH A MIXTURE OF 12 FULL-SERVICE AND FAST-CASUAL LOCATIONS.

beer, and wine during happy hour. In 2016, Luis and Daniel decided to become more involved

food trucks, and more, Luis and Dan iel created a corporate structure called Ramirez Hospitality Group to manage operations, in which the brothers both serve as co-CEOs. “The bigger we get, the smaller we become,” Daniel says. This year served as a turning point for the Mexican eatery. The Ramirez broth ers branched out with a hybrid fast casual concept called Los Dos Potrillos Cocina y Cantina, which debuted in April. “It’s everything that you love about our current stores, but we don’t have servers, only food runners,” Daniel explains. “We have a great bar program and our top 50 menu items from the same quality [as the other locations].” For Daniel, the biggest hurdle in

Colorado-based Mexican establishment. The initial location expanded from 1,500 to 4,900 square feet in a few years, and by 2008, Jose opened another res taurant. For years, Jose was satisfied with having two locations. This was his American dream. His guests enjoyed the authentic Mexican cuisine and a family friendly, “hole-in-the-wall” atmosphere. The menu quickly became a hit, with made-from-scratch American wagyu steak fajitas, family platters, taquitos, etc. Customers sipped on margaritas,

and expand the brand’s footprint. By 2018, Los Dos Potrillos doubled in size with locations throughout Colorado in Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and Parker. The Parker location, dubbed Los Dos Potrillos Mexican Restaurant y Cervece ria, is the only one of its kind in Colo rado. It is part Mexican restaurant, part brewery, serving taquiza and margari tas under the same roof. Twelve distinct types of beers are offered, from Mexican lagers to IPA sours. As the brand scaled to four locations,

LOS DOS POTRILLOS

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