Currito opening 4 new locations in Ohio

Currito is planning four additional restaurants in the Cincinnati area, with new locations slated for Mason, Milford, Eastgate and Liberty Township. The Ohio-born bowl-and-smoothie chain joins a wave of fast-casual growth in Ohio, where CAVA has also been expanding its customizable-bowl footprint.

The projects come from two franchise agreements detailed in Currito’s October 29 announcement. Three locations are covered by a deal with Petey Cunningham and his partnership group, while existing franchisee Ketul Patel has committed to a fourth. These are planned additions, not four restaurants that have already opened, and the chain has not announced opening dates.

Which Cincinnati communities are getting Currito?

Cunningham’s group is responsible for the Mason, Milford and Eastgate restaurants. The three communities extend the chain’s reach across greater Cincinnati, from the northern suburbs to the eastern side of the region.

Patel’s restaurant is planned for Liberty Township, north of Cincinnati. Currito’s announcement did not identify street addresses, construction dates or target opening months for the four newly signed projects.

The company’s location directory lists Mason as coming soon. It also lists a coming-soon Kyles Station restaurant at 4712 Old Kyles Station Road, Suite A, in Liberty Township, although Currito has not publicly linked that listing to Patel’s new agreement.

Currito already operates restaurants in Kenwood, Hyde Park, Blue Ash, Anderson and Maineville, among other Cincinnati-area neighborhoods. The four agreements would build on that established local footprint rather than introduce the brand to Ohio for the first time.

Who will operate the new restaurants?

Petey Cunningham spent 17 years with One Holland Group, where he moved from controller into senior finance and restaurant-development roles. His group is taking on the three-location commitment covering Mason, Milford and Eastgate.

Ketul Patel is an existing Currito franchisee and a certified public accountant by training. He runs his restaurant business with family members and is expanding that business with the Liberty Township agreement. Neither arrangement has been described as a company-owned store opening.

The deals also reflect two different paths for the chain: bringing in an experienced new franchise operator while giving an existing operator another market to develop.

What is on Currito’s menu?

Brothers Joe and John Lanni founded Currito in Cincinnati in 2005. The fast-casual menu revolves around customizable grain bowls, greens, wraps, smoothies and shakes, with flavors drawn from several cuisines.

Current menu options include a Bangkok bowl with peanut sauce and vegetables, a Mediterranean bowl with wild rice and hummus, and a Harissa bowl with couscous and a spicy vinaigrette. Customers can select grilled chicken, steak or tofu, or assemble a bowl from their preferred ingredients.

The Lanni brothers also built Thunderdome Restaurant Group, the restaurant company behind several other concepts. Currito’s Cincinnati roots remain central to its latest round of suburban development.

When will the four locations open?

Currito has not set public opening dates for the four restaurants in these new agreements. The brand says it has signed 34 franchise units systemwide over 22 months, but those development commitments are not the same thing as restaurants ready to serve customers.

For diners in Mason, Milford, Eastgate and Liberty Township, the next updates to watch are confirmed storefront addresses and opening schedules. Until then, each community has a restaurant in the development pipeline, not a newly opened Currito.