Hot Head Burritos had so much buzz surrounding its grand opening on Thursday that the mere sight of a medium-sized cup drew rapt attention at the Mayfield Heights police station.

It’s clear people want to know what’s going on, where this new restaurant is located – and what’s up with all of these sauces they keep talking about?

Making its first foray into Northeast Ohio, Hot Head Burritos, a Mexican-style food chain, officially opened at 2 p.m. on Thursday and is located at 1245 SOM Center Rd. The store will switch to its regular hours of 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. for all seven days of the week beginning Friday.

Branding Hot Head Burritos as just another variation of the well-established Chipotle or Qdoba theme would seem easy at first, but its management thinks it’s got plenty of things to distinguish itself in a tough market. It probably doesn’t hurt that it’s easier to pronounce, too.

“We have way more options both in terms of menu selection and sizes,” CFO and marketing director Tyler Swegan said. “We have a burrito that is conquerable to our competition in terms of size, but we offer what we call a Li’l Burrito. Instead of eating this huge burrito for lunch, you have the option of getting a smaller one and not walking out too full and you can get on with the rest of your day.”

But perhaps the store’s main attraction is its sauces. There are 12 to choose from with vary degrees of flavor and heat ranging from its Hot Head Sauce and Louisiana Horseradish tastes up to the super-hot Straight Habanero.

“After you’ve filled your burrito, taco or bowl and walk down the line and you put toppings on, the very last step, you choose from 12 sauces. Those sauces are all very delicious and are the primary distinguisher between us and the competition. … You can mix and match and try a different flavor,” Swegan said.

Owner Richard Andrews emphasizes that the Mayfield Heights store uses locally produced ingredients whenever possible that are chemical, drug, hormone and gluten free. The restaurant does not have a freezer and makes everything fresh on site. In time, the store will begin to deliver and cater.

Based in Hudson, Andrews owns three Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in Aurora-Bainbridge, Sandusky and Lyndhurst.

Hot Head Burritos began in 2007 and is based in Dayton with some 40 stores currently operating in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana with commitments for another 150 stores around the country, according to Andrews.

Andrews said he hopes to expand Hot Head Burritos to other parts of the Greater Cleveland area.

You can call the restaurant at 440-646-9500 or fax in orders at 440-646-9524.