Bell Street Burritos opened its newest restaurant in Villa Rica in mid-April to a warm reception — marking the strongest opening week in the company’s history. Other locations include Midtown/Buckhead, Tucker, and Krog Street on the Beltline in Atlanta. Matt Hinton founded the company in 2009.
This “Mexican-adjacent” concept specializes in Mission-style burritos. These overstuffed, handheld creations originated in San Francisco’s Mission District in the late 1960s. Bell Street’s menu features Burritos/Bowls, Tacos, and Quesadillas. All are fully customizable with a wide range of fillings: chicken, smoked pork, ground beef, steak, brisket, shrimp, Beyond Meat, tofu, potatoes, broccoli, green chilis, beans, and cheese.
Although burritos, tacos, and quesadillas take center stage, Bell Street has also built a reputation for other items. Nachos, mulitas, salads, tamales, chips, guacamole, cheese dip, are also available. And early risers can enjoy Breakfast on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The full menu is available online at bellstreetburritos.com.
Humble Beginnings and Rapid Growth
Bell Street Burritos began with Matt Hinton, a Religion professor at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta. When one of his classes was canceled due to reduced enrollment during the 2009 recession, he looked for a way to support his family. As a temporary fix — until things, theoretically, returned to normal — he started making Mission-style burritos in his home kitchen and delivered them to customers every Monday.
This grassroots model came well before the rise of pop-ups, Uber Eats, or other delivery apps. After gaining traction through word of mouth, Hinton opened the first brick-and-mortar Bell Street location in 2010 in downtown Atlanta. Within four months, USA Today named Bell Street one of “The 10 Best Burritos in America,” kicking off a wave of national and local media praise.
The new Villa Rica restaurant is located at 660 W Bankhead Highway at Highway 61 (next to Stix). It marks the brand’s first expansion beyond the immediate Atlanta area. Bell Street Burritos is open Monday through Saturday and can be reached at 678-941-3147. To view the Villa Rica menu, visit: bellstreetburritos.com/menus.
Tim Collins is the founder and publisher of Chapel Hill News & Views (2000), Villa Rica/Temple News & Views (2008) and Paulding News & Views 2019.He has been in advertising since 1983 and publishing since 1985.