Lucharitos now serving up burritos in Greenport

When Superstorm Sandy dealt the Greenport bake shop Butta Cakes a heavy dose of damage, owner Marc LaMaina didn’t see it as a disaster, but rather a unique opportunity to do something he’d wanted to do for over a year — go from serving cupcakes and sweets to burritos and beer.

“The storm came and destroyed our floor and our entire interiors, so we went ahead and put the plans together to change the business,” said Mr. LaMaina of closing Butta Cakes and opening the new Lucharitos in its place. “We opened on Dec. 21st with a family and friends gathering, which went really well.”

The 32-year-old business owner said not only has the transformation of his business into a taco and burrito bar always been on the back burner, but that he’s not the only one who couldn’t be happier about the new fare on Main Street.

“A lot of people are saying the food is awesome, the atmosphere is amazing and the people who work here are friendly, which is music to my ears,” he said. “It’s very affordable to come eat lunch and have a beer here.”

He said he’s also been thankful for the support he’s received from local chefs Robert Beaver of The Frisky Oyster and Noah Schwartz of Noah’s.

“Robby and Noah have really shown a lot of selflessness helping me out during this time,” he said. “I know that I can borrow from them if I run out of something and that really only happens in small towns like Greenport. ”

He said the menu at Lucharitos serves up simple and fresh food items such as nachos, tacos and burritos.

“Our nachos are selling really well, we have a cilantro lime shrimp burrito and a standard beef taco with fresh guacamole and sour cream for $3.25,” he said.

As far as the bar, Mr. LaMaina said there’s more to come in the future, including margaritas.

“We plan to eventually carry 15 types of tequila and once you’ve tried all 15 types, you can get a t-shirt,” he said, adding that the bar will remain open until 2 a.m. on Saturday nights.