Tito's Mexican Cantina a Product of Food Diversity and Expansion

Richard Reavis started Tito’s Cantina with the idea no one in New England in the late 80s to bring Mexican food to the area.

“After three years we were in business, Taco Bell opened right to the side of us,” he said. “What that did was make us more diverse.”

Reavis said diversity helped him to expand. He said he knew a regular taco restaurant wouldn’t last, so he went into different avenues.

He said he first started in Middletown Rhode Island and moved to Seekonk in 2001. He said the original restaurant was a lot smaller.

“We opened a 400 square foot store with a drive through window,” he said. “It was a limited menu then until we expanded. It’s been quite a journey.”

Reavis said originally he expanded into other menu items, such as epanadas and tomales, but the winters hit him tough.

“It’s tough here in the winter,” he said.

So he came up with the idea of making and selling his own salsa and chips in the retail market.

“We do it right on the premises,” he said. “Cook prepare and hand pack it. Now I’m in all the independent groceries, Whole Foods in Massachusetts and mom and pop convenience stores. It’s all organic too.”

Reavis added they’ve expanded to selling private label soda, crushed red pepper and jalepeno peppers.

“I’ve got 60 accounts now,” he said. ”The sodas are all made with natural cane sugar. I take a lot of pride in my product.”

But retail will only get you so far, and Reavis said he’s constantly changing the menu.

“It’s trial and error,” he said. “We listen to our customers and they give us suggestions. Some work and some don’t. It took us ten years to get the good base for our food.”

Reavis said the food is California style Mexican cuisine, and he’s always going back there with his business partner Vince Arcello.

“We go back there and look for new ideas,” he said.

He added the strangest thing he’s made lately is the Chicken Mole, which is chicken topped with chocolate, gravy and peanut butter sauce.

“It’s already been exposed out in California,” he said. “They’re familiar with that stuff, but it took a little time to education around here.”

Reavis said he sponsors youth baseball teams in Seekonk and Warren and participates yearly in the Taste of the Town.

“We get a lot of great local support from the area,” he said. “We give gift certificates and baskets for auction and raffles, basically anybody in a ten-mile radius because that’s become our customer base. We try to do all we can for a small business. It’s been trying times lately but we’ve been fortunate.”

Tito’s Cantina is located at 1379 Fall River Ave. and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends.