Currito is bringing four new restaurants to the Cincinnati suburbs, with signed franchise agreements covering Mason, Milford, Eastgate and Liberty Township. The customizable burrito bowl and salad chain's latest expansion splits the new locations between a fresh three-unit partnership and an existing franchisee adding a fourth restaurant to his portfolio.
Two Franchise Groups, Four New Restaurants
According to cincinnati.com, the company has signed agreements covering locations in Mason, Milford, Eastgate and Liberty Township. Petey Cunningham and a partnership group hold a three-unit agreement for the Mason, Milford and Eastgate restaurants, while existing Currito franchisee Ketul Patel has a separate agreement for one restaurant in Liberty Township.
Cunningham brings nearly two decades of restaurant finance experience to the venture. He spent 17 years with One Holland Group, joining as controller in 2008 before rising to chief financial officer and chief development officer, and he also has a restaurant background at Skyline Chili. “I knew I wanted to build something of my own with the right brand and the right people,” Cunningham said, per the same report.
A Longtime Customer Turned Franchisee
Patel, a certified public accountant with previous restaurant ownership experience, operates his Currito locations with family members. He described a two-year run as a loyal customer before deciding to sign on as a franchisee himself. “I was a Currito customer for two years, and what stood out to me was the consistency,” Patel said, according to the report.
The Liberty Township restaurant appears to be tied to a broader retail project in the area. Liberty Township has identified Currito as one of the first tenants for Kyles Station Corner, a retail development near Kyles Station and State Route 4, alongside Another Nine, Scramblers and Heartland Dental.
Brothers Built the Chain From a Family Restaurant Legacy
Currito traces back to brothers Joe and John Lanni, who founded the chain in 2005 and went on to build Thunderdome Restaurant Group, which now operates Currito alongside other restaurant concepts. Their father, Nick Lanni, founded and expanded the Great Steak and Potato Company to more than 250 locations, a family track record the cincinnati.com report highlights as part of Currito's franchising pedigree.
Part of a Larger Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Push
The four Cincinnati-area agreements land amid a broader run of franchise activity for Currito. The company has signed 34 franchise units across its system over the past 22 months, the announcement states, and development rights are already sold out in Lexington, Louisville and Dayton, with Currito now targeting Indianapolis and Columbus for further expansion.
That momentum lines up with figures reported separately by Fast Casual, which said Currito sold 25 restaurant units over an 18-month span, including 11 deals closed in 2025, and is projecting 11 restaurant openings across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic this year. The outlet reported the company's 2026 plan also calls for two Louisville locations, one in the second quarter and one in the third, plus additional sites in Newark, Delaware; Knoxville, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; and Owensboro, Kentucky, with a goal of reaching 30 total units sold by the end of the year. Fast Casual also reported that Currito spent 2025 retrofitting its kitchens with a streamlined combination-oven platform aimed at improving cooking consistency and cutting labor costs.
Looking ahead, Currito has identified Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit and Nashville as development targets for the next 12 months, per Fast Casual's report. Other regional outlets have tracked similar growth: WHIO reported the chain plans to expand by 29 new locations across several markets in coming years, including three Dayton-area restaurants over three years, with the first slated for 1024 Miamisburg Centerville Road near Whole Foods and two more to follow in 2026 and 2027 in areas like Centerville, Springboro, Beavercreek, Oakwood and possibly near the University of Dayton. Meanwhile, The Courier-Journal reported two new Louisville-area locations were planned for the first half of 2026, joining the chain's existing Dutchmans Parkway restaurant that opened in spring 2021. No opening dates have been announced for the new Mason, Milford, Eastgate or Liberty Township restaurants.
