More Info From Hector Santiago on His Ponce City Market Venture

Hector Santiago, former chef/owner of Poncey-Highlands favorites Pura Vida, Super Pan, and El Burro Pollo, is leaving his executive chef position at Abattoir to pursue new ventures of his own, including a project at Ponce City Market. While details are still up in the air, Santiago does have a few specific ideas in mind.

In an interview with Atlanta Magazine, the chef said he is leaning toward a concept similar to either Super Pan or El Burro Pollo for his  PCM project:

For the last year, I've been trying to do Super Pan or El Burro Pollo (burritos). I want to do a couple of fast-casual concepts. I'm going to try to do one of those in Ponce City Market. I'm inclined to do Super Pan because we have it more streamlined. It would have a slightly different menu, adding some hot plates like at a Spanish/Puerto Rican bakery-a couple of items that change daily. It'll have sandwiches, baked goods, sweets, and hot food-like rice and beans-Cubanos and coconut buns for sure. At night, it'll turn into old school tapas plates based on what's available.

Burro Pollo would have a tofu burrito and a chicken burrito, but also a Mexican-style ceviche bar with food of the Mexican Riviera (places like Puerta Vallarta, Cabo, and the Sea of Cortez). We'd do a full alcohol license with a lot of mezcal.

Santiago has signed a letter of intent, but he has not yet locked down a lease at the Old Fourth Ward mixed-use development.

Pura Vida was Santiago's popular tapas restaurant that served for 12 years on North Highland Avenue, and its basement featured his El Burro Pollo burrito pop-up on Saturdays. Adjacent was Super Pan, a sister lunch operation. All three concepts closed in 2012.