Pincho Factory Opening in Hialeah Next Week: Locations in Brickell, Midtown Miami, Miami Beach, Aventura to Follow

Pincho Factory is poised to become the next big fast-casual chain.

The brand started as an eatery in Westchester in 2010, after Nedal Ahmad and his cousins, Otto Othman and Nizar Ahmad, decided over a backyard barbecue session that their recipes were good enough to share with the public.

The restaurant quickly gained steam as word got out of its affordable pinchos made from antibiotic- and hormone-free meats. What really tapped into Miami's appetite was chef Nedal Ahmad's insane burger creations like the Toston, which uses two fried plantains as the buns, or the Croquetesa, which won the coveted Peoples' Choice Award at the 2015 South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Burger Bash.  Pincho Factory will also be back at this year's Burger Bash to defend its title.
The restaurant received national press, such as being featured on George Motz's Burger Land on the Travel Channel. Nedal Ahmad even found himself kibbutzing with Kathie Lee and Hoda on the Today show. The little restaurant hit the big time when it opened a location inside American Airlines Arena (AAA).

Now, Pincho Factory is set for a major expansion, with an increase in both corporate-owned and franchise locations. 

The hotly anticipated Hialeah location, which was supposed to open last year, is finally debuting Thursday, February 11. The celebration will be marked with a ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m. with the mayor of Hialeah, and the eatery will open to the public at 1 p.m. Located at 4950 W. 12th Ave., the restaurant will donate ten percent of first day proceeds to Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing opportunities for socialization and employment.  This restaurant marks the third corporate location for the brand and the fourth Pincho Factory in South Florida.

The first franchise location opened a few weeks ago at 155 N. Hiatus Rd. in Pembroke Pines, with first-day proceeds benefiting Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.

These new locations are just the tip of the iceberg for Pincho Factory's expansion. According to QSR Magazine, Jonathan Vilma has signed a deal to open five franchise locations. The NFL linebacker, who played college football at the University of Miami, is scheduled to open his first location at 50 SW 10th St. in Brickell by summer 2016. Additional locations in Aventura, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Midtown Miami are to follow. Vilma is also a partner in Brother Jimmy's BBQ.

Pincho Factory's expansion plans also include opening a second location at the AAA, as well as additional restaurants in Pembroke Pines, and Orlando, amidst loftier goals of adding a 20 more restaurants by the end of 2016 and 50 by the end of 2017.