Mexican eatery Bang Bang Burritos opens in Wantagh

Bang Bang Burritos opened in Wantagh on Wednesday as the Long Island chain looks to expand.

The fast-casual Mexican eatery opened in 1,000 square feet at 1906 Wantagh Ave. north of Sunrise Highway, offering burritos, tacos, bowls and other fare, said Kelley Henneberry, a spokesperson for Bang Bang Burritos.

The 1,000-square-foot store will be Bang Bang Burrito's fourth location, after opening its first store in West Islip in 2019, Henneberry said. The company signed a 20-year lease for the corner property in the Wantagh Ave. retail strip at the end of 2025, Henneberry added.

The Nassau County Department of Health gave Bang Bang Burritos temporary permission to open on Oct. 14, following renovations to its new store, which was previously leased to a card shop, according to permitting records from the Town of Hempstead.

A representative for the owners of the retail strip confirmed that Bang Bang Burritos leased the space but did not answer further questions.

Bang Bang Burritos plans to expand on Long Island next spring, Henneberry said. The eatery leased 1,500 square feet this fall for a new restaurant at 2904 Long Beach Rd. in Oceanside, Newsday reported. The company also plans to open up a 1,600-square-foot store in Melville at 718 Walt Whitman Road, Henneberry said.

"It's a great concept and the community seems to be taking to it," Henneberry said.

Other fast-casual Mexican restaurants have expanded across the Island. A Chipotle Mexican Grill opened at the former Long Beach Cinemas building in March, followed by a new Qdoba Mexican Eats opening in Lindenhurst this summer, Newsday reported. Chipotle saw a 9.6% increase in total revenue to $3.29 billion in the third quarter, according to the company's earnings report.

Fast-casual Mexican food is one of the few types of restaurants seeing growth, plus additional competition from smaller, independent retailers, Kevin Schimpf, Technomic's senior director of industry research, previously told Newsday.