Acushnet’s New Burrito Spot a Rebirth for New Bedford’s Former Boston Burrito

ACUSHNET (WBSM) — Some local restaurateurs are back in the burrito business.

Blackjack’s Burritos is set to open in the coming weeks on South Main Street in Acushnet, in the building that formerly housed Jeffrey’s Pizza.

Jack Fernandes and Michael Moujabber, the guys behind New Bedford’s Boston Burrito and who went on to become the owners of Lolly’s Cafe, are teaming once again for Blackjack’s along with a third owner, Isaiah Tavares.

What Happened to Boston Burrito?

In February of 2022, Fernandes and Moujabber first became restaurant owners when they opened Boston Burrito on Rockdale Avenue in New Bedford. Both came from food service backgrounds; Moujabber had uncles that owned restaurants, and Fernandes’ parents, Ronnie and Lolly Fernandes, owned and operated Lolly’s Cafe in New Bedford and Boston Coffee & Bagel in New Bedford before that.

“When we started, the real truth of it was that the name Boston Burrito was an homage to my parents’ first place, Boston Coffee & Bagel,” Jack Fernandes said. “We were using things like Celtics flags, Red Sox flags, Fenway Park images to decorate the place.”

In February 2023, Fernandes and Moujabber closed Boston Burrito as they took over Lolly’s Cafe in New Bedford, which they purchased from Fernandes’ parents (Ronnie and Lolly became the new owners of Country Whip in Acushnet).

After getting established at Lolly’s and also offering burritos there, they decided it was time to open their own burrito place again.

Why Use the Name Blackjack’s Burritos Instead of Boston Burrito?

The decision to rebrand as Blackjack’s Burritos came from a desire to build their own brand.

“We want things that are original and unique to us,” Moujabber said. “We really want to brand our guy, Blackjack. We want to really push that – and we’re not from Boston, and we don’t have a Boston location.”

Get our free mobile app

A Familiar Face Has Come Aboard in a Bigger Role

Joining the two in the Blackjack’s venture is a third owner, Isaiah Tavares, who previously worked for them at Boston Burrito.

“At that time, I was working at Riccardi’s in New Bedford, and they brought me in, and I liked what they were doing,” he said. “At first, it was just a job for me, but the more they explained their side of the business to me, what they felt like it was capable of, it just interested me.”

“So when they started out on (Blackjack’s), they said they’d love to have me (be an owner),” he said.

When Will Blackjack’s Burritos Open in Acushnet?

Blackjack’s is just going through some final inspections, and the owners said they expect to be open either next week or the week after.

“Definitely by July 1,” Fernandes said.

Blackjack’s Burritos will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It will be takeout only, either pickup or delivery. There will be no dining in.

There will also be delivery available through all the apps such as GotChew, DoorDash, Grubhub and UberEats.

“They’ll also be able to place orders right through our website, as we’re partnering with Square,” Fernandes said. “They can earn rewards, which we’ll call ‘chips’ as a play on blackjack, and be able to use those rewards to eventually earn free food.”

What Will Be on the Menu at Blackjack’s Burritos?

All of your favorites from Boston Burrito will be available at Blackjack’s, plus new additions like fries and other fried foods.

“We told people right before we left that we planned to come back bigger and better,” Moujabber said, noting that “coming back better” would mean a new location.

“The spot we were in, we didn’t have much parking, we didn’t have access to a fryolator so we couldn’t do other foods that people wanted,” he said. “So now we’ll have the same things that were on the menu before but we’ve also expanded the menu.”

“Basically, Boston Burrito was a one-year test run,” Fernandes said. “People liked it so much, but Blackjack’s Burritos was really our first vision of what we wanted the place to look like.”

“It was what we could get together as a couple of kids just out of high school,” Moujabber said. “This one, we’re really hoping to build the brand, build the image, and it’s every bit of what we dreamed of when we started Boston Burrito.”

Is Blackjack’s Burritos Hiring?

Blackjack’s is hiring line cooks and cashiers, so anyone interested can give them a call at (774) 202-6702.