Zarillo to open Hämeenlinna restaurant after short Turku run

Tex-Mex chain Zarillo will open a new restaurant next Monday, 7 September, beside the Goodman shopping centre in Hämeenlinna.

The Tampere-founded chain, launched in 1998, is trying again to expand beyond Pirkanmaa after a brief stint in Turku that lasted just over six months before closing. Zarillo currently has restaurants on Puutarhakatu and Otavalankatu in Tampere. It also operates at the Duo shopping centre and in Tesoma, Sastamala and Pirkkala.

Jörg Widmann, who has run Zarillo for more than ten years, told Tamperelainen in February that strong local competition in Turku and weakening purchasing power hurt the restaurant’s performance. He left open the possibility of returning if a better site becomes available.

The Hämeenlinna opening follows Zarillo's exit from Turku and a renewed focus on growth around Tampere after reporting losses in Turku earlier this year.