Bartaco

Bartaco, styled by the company as bartaco, is an American restaurant chain focused on upscale interpretations of street-style food. The brand was founded in 2010 by Scott Lawton, Andy Pforzheimer, and Sasa Mahr-Batuz, with its first restaurant opening in Port Chester, New York. It developed a concept built around small-format tacos, Latin-inspired side dishes, beverages, and an informal setting rather than a conventional full-service restaurant format. A defining feature of the Bartaco experience is its incremental ordering system. Guests mark items on menu slips and submit orders in rounds, while a table card is used to signal staff when additional service is needed. Food is delivered as it is prepared, allowing diners to order progressively and share or sample multiple items. This approach supports the brand's emphasis on grazing, flexibility, and a casual social atmosphere. The menu is organized around small tacos and complementary dishes. Offerings described for the brand include wild-boar tacos, Baja-style fish, sweet plantains, and house-made guacamole, with the broader menu positioned as Latin-inspired rather than as a strictly traditional Mexican menu. The concept also incorporates an environment and service model intended to evoke relaxed coastal and street-food dining. Bartaco expanded from its original New York location into a regional U.S. restaurant chain, with locations concentrated largely along the East Coast. The referenced company description states that the chain operated 31 locations in 13 U.S. states, although the source does not establish the date for that count and the current total may differ. In 2019, private-equity firm L Catterton acquired Del Frisco's Restaurant Group for $650 million. Bartaco was included in that transaction and continued as a separate business under L Catterton's ownership, alongside Barcelona Wine Bar. The available reference material does not identify a current chief executive, a corporate headquarters, a public listing, or an official standalone website. Bartaco is therefore best characterized as an active U.S. restaurant brand operating within a private ownership structure.

Bartaco was established in 2010 by Scott Lawton, Andy Pforzheimer, and Sasa Mahr-Batuz. Its first restaurant opened in Port Chester, New York, establishing a concept based on upscale street-style food rather than a conventional formal dining model. From the outset, the brand emphasized small tacos, Latin-influenced side dishes, beverages, and an informal atmosphere. The restaurant's service model became a central part of its identity. Instead of relying on continuous traditional table service, guests use menu slips to record orders and submit them in rounds. A table card allows diners to signal staff when they are ready for further service. Dishes are brought out as they are prepared, creating a flexible sequence in which guests can sample multiple items, share food, and extend the meal at their own pace. Bartaco's menu has included a range of small tacos and individual portions, with examples such as wild boar, Baja-style fish, sweet plantains, and house-made guacamole. The food is presented as Latin-inspired street food, with the brand's offer combining recognizable taco formats and broader regional influences. The concept is designed to be approachable and social while retaining an elevated presentation and restaurant environment. The company expanded beyond its initial New York restaurant into a multi-state U.S. chain, primarily concentrated along the East Coast. The available reference identifies 31 locations in 13 states, but does not date that operating figure. No reliable current location count, headquarters, or standalone corporate website is supplied by the reference material. A major ownership change occurred in 2019, when L Catterton acquired Del Frisco's Restaurant Group for $650 million. Bartaco was part of the acquired restaurant portfolio and was subsequently operated as a separate business under L Catterton's ownership, alongside Barcelona Wine Bar. The supplied sources do not document later ownership changes, named current executives, major campaigns, scandals, or additional strategic transactions. Bartaco remains an active American restaurant brand according to the available material.

• 2019

  Bartaco changes ownership through the Del Frisco's acquisition

  [1]Bartacoen.wikipedia.org

  L Catterton acquired Del Frisco's Restaurant Group for $650 million, bringing Bartaco under the private-equity firm's ownership while maintaining it as a separate business.

• 2010

  Bartaco is founded

  [1]Bartacoen.wikipedia.org

  Scott Lawton, Andy Pforzheimer, and Sasa Mahr-Batuz founded Bartaco, and the first location opened in Port Chester, New York.

Upscale street-style Latin food in a relaxed, design-led casual restaurant setting, with progressive ordering and small portions that encourage sharing and grazing.

• Core food offering

  Tacos

  Bartaco's central food offering consists of small tacos served as individual portions. The menu has included fillings such as wild boar and Baja-style fish, reflecting the brand's upscale street-food positioning and its emphasis on ordering several items over the course of a meal.

• Small plates

  Latin-inspired sides

  Complementary dishes broaden the menu beyond tacos and support Bartaco's sharing-oriented format. Referenced examples include house-made guacamole and sweet plantains, served in individual portions that can be ordered in successive rounds.

• Restaurant beverages

  Beverages

  Bartaco's restaurant concept includes beverages associated with a casual Latin-inspired dining experience. The available reference specifically identifies margaritas as a relevant category but does not provide a complete beverage list or current product details.

• 2019

  Operate Bartaco as a separate business under L CattertonM&A

  Background

  L Catterton acquired Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, whose portfolio included Bartaco.

  Action taken

  Following the acquisition, Bartaco continued to operate as a separate business under L Catterton, alongside Barcelona Wine Bar.

  Aftermath

  The transaction placed Bartaco within L Catterton's private restaurant portfolio. The supplied material does not describe subsequent operational changes.

  Transaction value. $650 million (2019 acquisition)

  Source

• 2019

  L Catterton acquires Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, including Bartaco[1]Bartacoen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Private-equity firm L Catterton purchased Del Frisco's Restaurant Group in a transaction valued at $650 million. Bartaco continued as a separate restaurant business under the new ownership, alongside Barcelona Wine Bar.

1. 1Bartacoen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Temporary job cuts hit Fort Collins Hilton, Bartaco in Boulder – BizWestbizwest.com