- November 23, 2024
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+ Eat up: Burrito 101 opens in European Village
When Lee and Laura Barnes moved to Palm Coast three years ago, they were struck by European Village. Its concept was good, they thought, but business could be better. They envisioned a transformed village, ripe with customers and entertainment.
They wanted to be a part of that process. So far, they’ve purchased five commercial units in the complex, as well as one condo.
Over the last year, they’ve watched European Village evolve, from its physical renovations to the new businesses opening. The Barnes’ themselves opened Kokoro Sushi Bar & Japanese Bistro in December. Two weeks ago, they opened their second in the village: Burrito 101.
The restaurant boasts fresh Mexican food. Everything from the salsa to the flan is made from scratch, and the ingredients are bought as locally as possible.
“We don’t like to be idle,” Lee Barnes said. He and his wife owned more than a dozen businesses — mostly clothing stores — when they were living in Colombia.
But life there was not safe. Organized crime abounded, often targeted at business owners. Laura Barnes’ mother died in a video store bombing right before the Barnes moved. After that, they decided the country was not the place for them and their four children.
They came to visit family in Palm Coast, a city neither of the Barnes’ had heard of, and they both fell in love. It had good schools; it was safe. All it needed was a few businesses for the Barnes’ to run.
Their next business endeavor is just a few doors down from Burrito 101. They plan to open a wine and beer specialty bar and store, which will be called Market 101. They hope to have around 40 beers on tap at a time.
“It’s what we love to do,” Laura Barnes said, waving at regular customers and friends who strolled by. “We’re devoting ourselves to it.”
Burrito 101 is open Sundays through Thursdays from noon to 9 p.m. On Saturdays, the restaurant remains open until customers have dwindled.
