Decatur resident and investor buys Raging Burrito & Taco

Decatur resident Ben Kori is now the new owner of Raging Burrito & Taco, according to Steve Josovitz of The Shumacher Group.

The sale comes just two months after Scott Herman and Parham Savadkoohi announced plans to sell the popular Tex-Mex restaurant off Decatur Square. Herman and Savadkoohi will retire and step away from the restaurant, respectively. 

Herman and Savadkoohi made good on their promise to sell the restaurant to someone who plans to carry on its legacy in Decatur. Kori, an investor and Decatur resident, is also a longtime Raging Burrito customer.

“[Ben] knows the restaurant well,” Josovitz said. “His passion was to own a restaurant. [For] first-time restaurant owners, it’s more than just a business decision. There’s a passion, and sometimes all the boxes are checked.” 

Kori was not available for comment on his plans for Raging Burrito.

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Herman first opened Raging Burrito in 1996 in Midtown, before opening a second location in Decatur two years later.

Raging Burrito’s Midtown location closed in 2002, but the Decatur restaurant endured, with its 130-seat garden patio becoming a popular hangout for margaritas, generously portioned Tex-Mex dishes, and customizable burritos. In 2008, Herman added Raging Taco to the Decatur restaurant’s lineup. Savadkoohi came on board as Herman’s partner in the restaurant 16 years ago.

The restaurant’s location on the square is prime Decatur real estate with entrances on both Sycamore and Church streets. Next year, Decatur Square will host Decatur Watchfest 2026, a 34-day watch party festival running in conjunction with the 2026 World Cup. Josovitz said, however, that Decatur Square’s value extends far beyond events like the World Cup WatchFest and recent updates to the grounds. 

“Decatur Square has always been very vibrant, dynamic, and exciting because it’s historically been an almost zero-vacancy location,” he said of the surrounding restaurants and businesses. “I think one of the pluses to the Decatur Square is that, historically, restaurants have done very well.” 

Josovitz added that notable Decatur restaurant closures didn’t exactly indicate failed businesses, but instead, owners who were ready to retire, as in the cases of Raging Burrito this year and Sweet Melissa’s in 2022. 

Josovitz noted that despite current economic struggles, restaurants in good locations, such as Decatur Square or downtown Atlanta, are at an all-time low vacancy rate.