franchise owner Ivan Flores Encinal Brands

Franchise owner: Ivan Flores

Ivan FloresFounder and long time Restauranteur

Ivan Flores, Encinal Brands’ founder and CEO, has enjoyed a deep love of Mexican food since his early childhood spent on his grandparents’ El Encinal Ranch in Baja California.

The culture and cuisine stayed with Ivan, and when he opened his first restaurant, there was only one name he could imagine using.

El Encinal Restaurant gave Ivan experience in the food industry, and taught him how to translate his affection for the heritage and flavors of quick service food into a new brand.

In 2013, Ivan opened his first The Buffalo Spot restaurant in Long Beach, California. The brand was an immediate hit with guests, and gave him inspiration to start work on a larger concept.

When Ivan established Encinal Brands in 2018, he began to bring his plan to fruition.

The first Blue Burro restaurant opened the next year, and like The Buffalo Spot, soon became a much-loved and craved institution. Today, Ivan, and Encinal Brands, are on the move again. And we’re just getting started.


The Value in Owning an Encinal Brands Food Franchises

Encinal Brands has some of the hottest franchise brands in the restaurant business , and we’re spreading the word across the country. We are a family of brands that people love.

Mutual
Support

to aid every owner and give them what they need to build their business.

inclusive approach

that recognizes diverse viewpoints, and incorporates them into the decision-making process

TRADITIONAL FLAVORS

that give every meal we serve authenticity and inform our preparation techniques.

Multi-brand discount

to encourage cross-franchise purchasing and help make portfolio diversification easy.

Experienced guidance

from a team of dedicated professionals with decades of experience in the field.

Discover the right brand for you.