The Serrano family, owners and operators of four Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant locations in the East Valley, has opened a new fast-casual Mexican food concept at its Tempe location (6440 S. Rural Road), called Pronto by Serrano’s.
With a focus on “fresh, flavorful and familiar,” Pronto offers build-your-own combos featuring burritos, tacos, nachos, salads, bowls and more. Favorite Serrano staples like machaca, shredded chicken, asada steak and tomatillo pork are offered as protein options along with a variety of customizable toppings and sauces. Customers will also be able to add the famous Serrano’s bean dip, chips and salsa to their orders if desired. The goal is to provide the same Sonoran-style cuisine Serrano’s fans have come to love at a lower price point and with quicker turnaround time than the full-service restaurants.
“With our customizable menu options, our customers have an array of meal options to choose from that are served up fast just the way they like it,” said Ric Serrano, CEO of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants. “With Arizona State University a few miles up the road and numerous local businesses and busy families in the area, we hope our new fast-casual concept is appealing to both lunch and dinner crowds.”
The Serrano family – which operates the oldest, continuously owned family business in Chandler – ushers in the fourth generation of family leaders as Sarah Serrano Licht has been named general manager of Pronto.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to open our doors and reveal this new concept,” Serrano Licht said. “It took us much longer than planned due mainly to pandemic-related delays, but we look forward to welcoming back our loyal Tempe customers and hopefully attracting a new generation of Serrano’s fans with Pronto.”
Serrano’s Tempe location has been closed since late fall 2020 for a complete remodel to house this new concept, which features order-at-the-counter service.
The name Pronto is significant to the family, as it was the name of a food business that Stephanie Serrano operated near St. Louis before she passed away from breast cancer in 2019. Stephanie was one of eight sibling owners of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants.
Opportunities for employment in both the front and back of house are still available and interested parties can apply here.
