NEWARK — A fast-casual restaurant specializing in bowls, salads and smoothies has made its Delaware debut in Newark with more locations already planned for the region.
Piyush Patel opened Currito’s first Delaware location today at 511 Grove Lane in The Grove near the University of Delaware. He is a Newark-area businessman with previous multi-unit franchise experience having operated other spots such as Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Dunkin’ Donuts. Patel plans to bring three additional Currito restaurants to the area.
Patel was introduced to the Cincinnati-based brand through another Currito franchisee who operates several locations in Ohio and Kentucky. After visiting those restaurants, he said he saw an opportunity to introduce the concept to Delaware.
“I fell in love with Currito the first time I tried it and once I saw there wasn’t a single location in Delaware, I knew it was an opportunity worth taking,” Patel said in a press release. “The brand has a cleaner, more high-end feel than other bowl concepts, and the food is genuinely healthier, something you can eat any day of the week.”
The Newark restaurant is expected to employ between 15 and 20 workers with varied full and part-time status.
Currito Vice President of Franchise Development Scotty Geiger said the location at The Grove stood out as the company considered where to make its Delaware debut.
“The Grove was a clear choice for us. It’s got the visibility, the traffic, and the growth trajectory we look for when selecting new franchise locations,” Geiger told the Delaware Business Times in an email. “With University of Delaware right nearby and the surrounding neighborhoods continuing to develop, Newark is exactly the kind of market where Currito thrives, and we’re excited to become part of the community here.”
Currito has been ramping up its franchise expansion across the country in recent years. In 2025 alone, the company signed six new development deals, including an agreement for three locations in the Newark area, as well as new restaurants planned in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana.
The company’s website now lists 23 restaurants as active or coming soon with 11 coming online in 2026. The site also details opportunities for new franchise operators, citing an initial investment ranging “. . .from $343,500 to $959,000 with a one-time franchisee fee of $35,000. Royalties are 6% of sales.”
Currito reported average operating earnings, or EBITDA, of $251,456 per affiliated company-owned location in 2024.
Dining and Cooking