Popular Empanada Chain Coming To Bayside

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- A local Latin American-inspired fast food chain with spots throughout Queens will soon be serving up its famed empanadas to a loyal following in Bayside.

Mama's Empanadas will open The Empanada Spot at 61-09 Springfield Blvd., according to flyers posted to the storefront. The Jackson Heights-based food chain will replace Fresco Pizzeria in the location just off the Horace Harding Expressway in Bayside.

The owners of Mama's Empanadas - which has locations in Jackson Heights, Woodside and Astoria - could not be reached for comment on when the new joint would open. A flyer posted outside its storefront simply read "Coming Soon," much to the delight of Bayside locals.

Sean Martin, who lives just three blocks from the new location, told Patch "he almost jumped from excitement" when he saw a flyer for the new Mama's Empanadas on the outside of the former pizzeria. The Bayside resident said he's long been a loyal fan of the empanada eatery, often traveling to the chainlet's Jackson Heights location just to get them.

"This location will be so convenient and I think will do really well," he said.

Other Bayside residents seemed to share Martin's enthusiasm after he snapped a pic of the sign and shared it to a local Facebook group. The post garnered more than 500 likes and upwards of 160 comments, many from fans of the chain who, like Martin, were eager for a closer alternative.

"Omg!!!! I'm sooo happy. We finally don't have to go all the way to Woodside to Mama's," one poster wrote.

One man said his wife was "literally doing backflips as we speak" about the new location, while another poster joked she will be driving to the joint at least twice a week once it opens. Others noted the new location was a good business move for the chain, saying its affordable prices would do well with a college and high school nearby.

Mama's Empanadas offers a extensive regular, dessert and breakfast menus of corn or flour empanadas for under $2 each. The chain also offers meals ranging between $10-15 and sides like sweet corn rolls or chips and guacamole that can range anywhere from $3-8.

As Mama's Empanadas prepares to move into its new space, it's unclear what caused Fresco Pizzeria to give up the location. The pizzeria's owners did not return calls for comment.

But Fresco's shuttering wasn't of much concern to Martin, who said he was "absolutely not disappointed" about the pizzeria being replaced."

Martin is much less decisive, though, when it comes to picking a favorite from Mama's Empanadas menu. His would have to be toss up between the classic carne empanada and the Cuban - an empanada filled with ham, pork and cheese.

"That's a tough one," he said. "There are so many choices."