The national Tex-Mex chain Tijuana Flats will be opening its second Gainesville eatery in early 2012. The new restaurant will be located in Butler Plaza on Archer Road.
The other Gainesville location is on West University Avenue.
The Tijuana Flats marketing department said the restaurant has seen success in Gainesville with its first location and wanted to provide another location to service the rest of the city.
Suniti Patel, an 18-year-old freshman at Santa Fe College, is excited about the new location.
"I love Mexican food, and I love the atmosphere while eating there," she said.
Patel, who lives at The Enclave Apartments on Southwest 35th Place, said she believes the new restaurant's location will be more convenient.
"It's easier to find parking [on Archer], too," she said.
Adam DeBosier, a 20-year-old engineering sophomore at UF, said he is also looking forward to the Butler Plaza location's opening.
"Tijuana Flats is more authentic Mexican food than most other places, and their hot sauces are awesome," he said.
DeBosier said he'll be glad to have a closer place to eat.
"It's like a three minute car ride to the new location. I could even walk," he said. "The old location is in a congested area. Traffic is bad on the way there, and it's hard to park."
