Photos by Jane Kortright
After three years in business and with two other locations in the works, Surcheros Fresh Mex has proven that it has what the people of the Savannah River Region are looking for — a fast and fresh take on Mexican food that tastes great and offers options for every customer.
Madison Tuten, local franchise owner, remembers eating at the original location while growing up in South Georgia. Then, as a college student at the University of Georgia, he and his friends continued to frequent similar establishments in Athens. After graduation, he knew he wanted to go into business for himself, so he chose to become a Surcheros franchise owner.
“We’re in the people business at the end of the day,” says Tuten, “[which includes] having good people working for us and giving our guests the experience they want. There are families that I see regularly, and I know them and what they’re going to order. I’ve also seen people work up from a dishwasher to general manager, from the cold line to area director.”
The beauty of the setup at Surcheros is that, as Tuten puts it, “You can come in and make it what you want. If you want to eat celebratory nachos, you can. If you want something healthy, we have salads — the grilled chicken burrito bowl is by far the bestseller.”
The owner and staff take the “fresh” part of the name seriously. There’s not a single freezer in the store, and everything is hand-prepped on site, daily.
“That’s my favorite part,” says Tuten. “We rotate food so fast that we don’t have to worry about waste. We dial in our amounts and don’t have to freeze anything. There’s no mystery about what’s going on in the kitchen. We have to keep everything clean and fresh. People eat with their eyes. It’s an experience to watch your food being made.”
Tuten and his business partner, Brian Smith, have made a particular effort to engage with the community. “The value that we’ve created is not just in our food, it’s in the experience.” They are constantly assessing their standards and putting customers first. “Is it clean? Is the food good? Are we giving back to the community? Do you need a sponsor for your kid’s Little League team?”
The result has been several years of great success for their Augusta customers. There’s no doubt that Surchero’s Fresh Mex is here to stay.
As seen in the October 2025 issue of Augusta magazine.
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