mexican restaurant chains 1980s mexican restaurant chains 1980s

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the chains locations are focused in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Bennigan was becoming one of the most efficient mid-range casual catering chains in America. It quickly expanded 225 points of sale by 1986. Unfortunately, no matter the quality of the chicken-taste - the company has encountered its inexpensive end to the consternation of fans everywhere. But that was only true for so long. Was on 7th ave. Just south of Van Buren at the bottom just before going over the bridge. Founder Russ Wendell's Vision was, at the time, quite unique: hot dogs served next to a less common fast service option for Era-Tacos. The fortress ofMcDonalds,Pizza hut,Burger KingAnd other giants from the 80s made the competition steep. The G.D. Ritzy's menu stood out for all the ways you could customize your hamburgers, drinks and ice cream. 4. > U.S. sales: $398 million But all hope wasn't lost. Cobb Lane Restaurant. Founder Russ Wendell's vision was, at the time, fairly unique: hot dogs served alongside a less common quick-service option for the eratacos. The Mexican seafood restaurant closed because of high rent costs. Chipotle Mexican Grill 6. Gd the first open Ritzy opened in 1980, but when you entered one, you were instantly transported to the classic ambience of the 1950s dinner. Today, it has 60-plus locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, as well as its native state of Texas. "Prepare food fresh. Oklahoma City Mexican Restaurants 1983. > Number of U.S. units: 743. The menu at Del Taco goes to show that Mexican chain restaurants in the U.S. are capable of delivering both authentic Mexican food as well as American variations. The latest restaurant closed in 1989. There is no to deny this hot and blurred feeling that comes frombite into the hamburger You have enjoyed from your child. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how good the chicken tastedthe business met its untimely end to the dismay of fans everywhere. "You could make money anywhere." Chi-Chi's. Wikimedia Commons/Nostaljack/Public Domain. Just some of the delicious Tex-Mex options on the menu at this restaurant include slow-smoked ribs, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, and tacos. 1983 The Food Marketing Institute reports that 2/3 of all fish consumed in the U.S. is eaten in restaurants. Whether you are in their delicious skins of red potatoes or the iconic Irish tower O'Rings, Bennigan was a success in the 1980s. But there is a sliver of good news: Today, two rebranded Gino's Burgers and Chicken remain in Marylandand yes, they do serve the Gino Giant. But then, things took a ride. Taco Cabana The latest edition uses the most recent U.S. sales figures, from 2018, to rank the chains. But as any child of the '70s or '80s knows, Walgreen's once had full-on restaurants, too. In the 1980s, the restaurant began to decline, as it switched up . In 1981, more than 50 VIP sites had taken along the highways of Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada, In addition to the locations of Oregon. But this same year, 99 of them wereSold in Taco Bell, all but erase the brand. Not only does On The Border deliver excellent value for money due to its impressive portion sizes, but many of the signature dishes on the menu at this restaurant are cooked on mesquite wooden grills, which enhances the flavor and makes the Mexican food at On The Border some of the best in America. Another Texas-born chain, this one from Fort Worth, Fuzzys has units around the country, all over Texas and also in Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and North and South Carolina. The original Del Taco opened in the Mojave Desert town of Yermo, California, in 1964. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. The US Mexican restaurant industry has seen good growth over most of the past decade, reaching a market size of around $79.4 billion in 2023. There arent as many Baja Fresh locations as there are for other Mexican fast food chains, so be sure to look up the nearest Baja Fresh and try it out when you can! Although it didn't hold up against Chili's, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's, there was a time when it was fairly ubiquitous throughout the states. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { In 1982,Denny's offered the company About $ 12 million to buy 35 VIP locations. Today, one of the dachshunds always turns near the San Francisco Zoo. Now that's what you call living out your childhood dream. After a booming start in the late 1970s and a growth spurt in the early 1980s, Chi-Chi's sales and store count declined. We promise this Tex-Mex chain restaurant will quickly become a family favorite! In the early 1980s he sold the chain to the Marriott hotel chain, which quickly converted all the Gino's into Roy Rogers. Seven locations were revived a few years later, but they were all closed by 2016. . Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. The original Cafe Rio was a stand-alone restaurant in St. George, Utah, opened in 1997. Serve customer fast. Unlike some other Mexican restaurant chains, Taco Bell restaurants are not confined to a small selection of states, and most states in the U.S. have at least one if not many more Taco Bell restaurants. Here, we've ranked some of the very worst and very best Mexican, Mexican-inspired, Mexican-ish, and Tex-Mex fast-food chains in the U.S. 10. } else { So, if youre in the mood for some Mexican flavors with an American twist at a reasonable price and an accessible location, Taco Bell is an excellent choice! Starting out as RoBee's House of Beef in Indiana, Roy Rogers became the more common name for this chain in 1968. Taco Viva started in 1968, but it was at its peak in the '80s, when it had around 80 locations across the country. > Number of U.S. units: 392. Still, if you were lucky enough to experience Pup 'N' Taco, then you probably can't get the jingle out of your head. This Mexican restaurant is the original home of the frozen margarita, tableside guacamole, and the fajita platter, so other Mexican chain restaurants owe a lot to this establishment. 3. It was launched by Howard Johnson himself in the 1920s as a soda fountain and lunch counter, and by 1954 there were 400 outposts in 32 states. This list is a transcription of notes I took about Mexican restaurants in Oklahoma City in 1983. Its chain, Wag's, had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours, serving your standard Denny's-esque fare. But the children of the 80s probably do not experience experience. > Number of U.S. units: 6,588. Qdoba Mexican Eats is a solid example of a great Mexican chain restaurant, and we highly recommend it next time youre in the mood for Mexican food! In 1979, McDonald's launched his good meal. Although there is an independent restaurant of the same name in New York, the latest All-American All-American Burger on Sunset Boulevard has since closed. Marchetti returned to the restaurant business in 2010, opening up a new Gino's location. And although there was a unique showcase holding a dear life life in Nebraska, toofirm In 2017. 2. Qdoba Mexican Eats Without further ado, were going to be listing the 16 best Mexican chain restaurants in America, describing the style of the menu for each one (see also Americas Best Buffet Restaurants). Jim's Tiffany Place. The American company has units all over California (and especially in the southern portions of the state), as well as in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. Chi-Chi's took off, growing to 237 locations by 1986. Jolly Tiger 2080 W. Stadium Blvd. Taco Bueno. Mexican food. There were dozens of Pancho's locations by the '80s in the Texas area and surrounding states. Although it didn't hold up against Chili's, TGI Fridays, and Applebee's, there was a time when it was fairly ubiquitous throughout the states. Winsight is a leading B2B information services company focused on the food and beverage industry, providing insight and market intelligence to business leaders in every channel consumers buy food and beverage - convenience stores, grocery retailing, restaurants and noncommercial foodservice - through media, events, data products, advisory . "Bennigan was the lowest of the main stakeholders," said an analyst at theAssociated pressat the time. But in 1970, he left that company to build his own Mexican-style chain: Naugles in Southern California. That is, until 2008 when Bennigan's went bankrupt. Simpson. Simpson. In 1984, G.D. Ritzy's was taking in about $5.2 million just from ice cream sales. Taco Bell was established in 1962, and since then the restaurant has become famous for its incredible Crunchy Taco recipe, which continues to be one of the most popular items on the menu. Ralph Rubio can make a fair claim to having introduced Baja-style fish tacos to America and his fresh Mex chain, based in San Diego, certainly popularized them. To determine the famous restaurant chains that are now hard to find, 24/7 Wall St. identified brands that, according to Technomic, had hundreds of U.S. locations at their peak between the 1980s . In the mid-1980s, the company was sold to Marriott, which sold off the hotel chain and began converting non-franchise HoJos into Big Boy restaurants (which Marriott also owned). Del Taco Sambo is closed in the middle of the decade. After her family migrated from Mexico to Texas in the 1890s, Adelaida Cuellar began selling her handmade tamales at her county fair. If you love tacos as much as we do, this is one Mexican restaurant experience you wont want to miss out on! Every TV show based in the city, from Friends to Saturday Night Live, has joked about it for the last few decades. Uncle Julios restaurants can be found in Wisconsin, Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Mayland, Missouri, New Jersey, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Gino's Hamburgers. I only ate there once but I really liked it. Whether you were into their delicious cheesy potato skins or the iconic Irish Tower O'Rings, Bennigan's was a hit in the 1980s. The original pioneering chicken opened in 1961 next to a pioneering market, a grocery chain in Los Angeles. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and never quite recovered. And for more restaurants that didn't stand the test of time, Only 1990s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. At the beginning of the decade, you could get the "chicken in the cart" special for only 59 cents. Still another Texan, founded in Dallas in 1986, Uncle Julios features mesquite-grilled fajitas, guacamole made tableside, and chocolate piatas for dessert. He rapidly expanded to 225 outlets by 1986. single First opened a half-century ago in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and still based there, Taco Johns calls its fare West-Mex. Now operating in 22 states, the chain offers some unusual additions to the usual Mexican chain menu for instance, a meat and potato burrito, stuffed grilled tacos, and flauta-like Mexi Rolls, served with a choice of dipping sauces. And for more, check out these 108 most popular sodas ranked . But it was already too late. 22. Here are 19 Old Happy Meal Toys That'll Bring You Back to Your Childhood. But there is a glow of good news: today, two Gino Rochette burgers remain in the Maryland - and yes, they serve the ginois ginner. Former regulars might remember the antique decor of the restaurant or the Greek . Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. Quesadillas, burritos and burrito bowls, and nachos are among the other offerings. Taco Cabana is known for its tortilla machine, which allows customers to enjoy steaming hot tacos just a couple of minutes after they place their order. 4. Unfortunately, Webb could only put on the ritz for so long. . But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. The Tex-Mex menu at Taco Cabana, which calls itself a Mexican patio cafe, lists all the usual items (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. Since then, nearly 400 other Taco Johns venues have opened in the Midwest as well as in some of the Mountain states, so its clear that the combination of Midwest and Mexican cuisine has been a hit. } ); ), After the movie came out, All-American Burger, which was only in the Los Angeles area, experienced a brief boom. The menu includes queso, guacamole, both soft and crispy tacos, Big As Yo Face burritos, and Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken (breaded with crushed potato chips). La Petite Boulangerie wanted to be every neighborhood's neighborhood marketand in the '80s, they made a pretty good run at doing just that. Perkins logo, 1960. This family includes Pappas Burger, Pappas Bar-B-Q and Pappas Bros Steakhouse to name just a few (see also The Best Menu Items At LongHorn Steakhouse). While Qdoba mainly sticks to traditional Mexican menu items and flavor combinations for the sake of authenticity, you can still pick from a variety of customizable menu options that allow you to exercise creative freedom and bring your own preferences to the table. Brands, owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, and other chains, it also operates around the world.) First of all, the tortillas at Pappasitos Cantina are made fresh, from scratch, every hour, and you get the satisfaction of watching your guacamole be prepared in front of you at the table, so you never have to worry about stale ingredients spoiling your meal. Vegan-friendly Beyond Meat tacos, nachos, and bowls are available, too. In his younger years, founder Leo Reynosa, Sr. rode with . Howard Johnson's might just hold the title for most sorely-missed failed restaurant chain of not just the '80s, but any era. Fast-food tacos, burritos, tostadas, and quesadillas make up much of the menu, though there are also American-style burgers. Friday, the chain fell behind. Torchys Tacos With the exception of six locations in Florida, Rubios remains a western chain, with shops in Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, as well as California. > Number of U.S. units: 148. Pappasito's Cantina. 9. And for more failed restaurants,Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants. > Number of U.S. units: 204. At its height, there were nearly 100 restaurants in The national level, which was quite the Founder Graydon D. Webb. with a character named "Family Sam," a friendly senior citizen chef. The trade publication Restaurant Business releases an annual ranking of the nations top 250 restaurant chains. Sambo's shut down by the middle of the decade. There are 34 locations in total. Torchys grew out of a food truck in Austin. Dont forget to try one of El Toritos frozen margaritas while you have the chance! Its channel, Wag's had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours a day, serving your standard rate of Denny'Sque. Chi-Chi's Inc., owned by Prandium Inc., is a chain of 130 Mexican full-service restaurants that can be found in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In 1979, new owners purchased the business for real estate purposes. In 1984, G.D.'S Ritzy took about $ 5.2 million only fromIce cream sales. Nine years in, Naugle sold his modest three-location chain to a businessman named Harold Butler, who took the concept and ran with it. All Rights Reserved. Doggie Diner was a staple in Northern California's Bay Area in its heyday. At the over 500 Del Taco restaurants across 16 U.S. states, you can order more adventurous Tex-Mex food like fish and cheese tacos, or stick to the classics with a meat-based tortilla. Today, only a few restaurants remain. Chipotle specializes in Mexican food favorites such as burritos, but it has an extensive menu ranging from burrito bowls to tacos and fajitas. One of the reasons Taco Cabana is so popular is that it offers 24-hour service, so when college starts in the fall, you can expect to see a lot of students here in the early hours of the morning! Second-place Starbucks managed a mere $19.66 billion, just over half the . Pizza Haven - Australian pizza chain; Pumper Nic - chain in Argentina; founded in 1974 and closed in 1999; Pup 'N' Taco; Red Barn; Royal Castle - one franchise location survived after chain was liquidated in 1975; Sandy's; ShowBiz Pizza Place - Merged into Chuck E. Cheese New Balance > Decline alone for the industry leader, McDonalds, exceeded $38 billion in 2018. In the early 1990s, Bennigan was sold to Metomedia's restaurant group. But eventually, they fail to keep in pace with restaurants like Applebee's and Friday's. Bennigan's was sold several times through the years before filing for bankruptcy in 2008. While the chain had a rocky financial status through the '70s, there were over 300 chains in operation by the '80s. Based today in Salt Lake City, the chain currently has locations in 11 states. But with more customers came more scrutiny, and it wasn't long before anti-discrimination protests against Sambo's began. Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to changing tastes became fierce competitors. It continued to grow throughout the '60s and '70s. The Tex-Mex Invasion. There were 60 locations in the New York metropolitan area by 1984. Personally, we cant get enough of the incredible Tex-Mex menu items at On the Border, and we think you should visit one of the 120 On the Border restaurants in the U.S. if you havent already. I wish it was still here. This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 04:55. The restaurants your family ate at when you were growing up might not have been the finest dining establishments, but they probably hold a special place in your heart. In the late 1990s and . The sale has put the "completely out of food activity" of WalgreenThe New York Times reported. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { The five top chains, in fact, all exceeded the $10 billion-dollar mark (the others were Subway, Taco Bell, and Chick-fil-A). This health-conscious fast-food chain offered healthier options than their competitors, but when chains like McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's began to do the same in the form of salads, baked potatoes, and other items, it spelled the end for D'Lites. Keep place clean!" And for kids, in particular, Burger Chef was the top choice: It was the first fast-food chain to include toys with its kids' meals. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Theres a huge range of flavors, ranging from the cooling cilantro cucumber and watermelon options to the fiery jalapeno cucumber margarita. If you're from that neck of the woods, then you probably remember the chain's seven-foot-tall, rotating dachshunds in chef's hats and bowties that stood outside each of the restaurants. It took 10 years for the chain to die a slow death, which meant that the children of the 80s have had to experience the great barn and the Barnbuster Burgers . Sam Battistone and Newell F. Bohnet opened the first Sambo's restaurant in 1957. In 1928, she opened a neighborhood restaurant, which her family expanded in the 1950s into the El Chico Tex-Mex restaurant chain. These 1980s restaurants aren't still standing todayand if they are, it's in reduced form. A 1980 sales department accounted for many happy customers who say that Chicken George was better than the chicken of their wife or mother. here is19 old joyful toys that will bring you back to your childhood. The One '80s Snack You Should Never Eat Again, Says Science. Family Style. Credit: Visit Houston Texas. "I used to eat here as a child at lunch time with my father," wrote a Yelper. Each television show based in the city, fromFriends ToSaturday Night Live, has blocked about it for a few decades. Sadly, there are no more D'Lites today. By 1981, more than 50 VIP's locations had sprung up along freeways throughout Washington, California, Idaho, and Nevada, in addition to the Oregon locations. Without this bright orange chicken, Monday night football has never been the same. > U.S. sales: $10.410 billion The name Sambo comes from a combination of the names of the founders: Sam Battistone and Newell F. Bohnett. There were at least 300 Rax locations by the mid-'80s; there were even locations in Guatemala and Canada. 25. But the name was re-franchised in 2003, and there are still some Roy Rogers in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. About 25 Chicken Delights are operating today, in central Canada and the New York City area. In 1981. "The love affair with chief burger remains strong," aThe Hardee Marketing Officer announced in 2007 When the herdee brought the iconic Burger Big Shef. The graveyard of Denver eateries is the subject of a wonderful new book by Colorado authors Robert and Kristen Autobee titled, Lost Restaurants of Denver . With the rise of fast-food chains though, . More than half of the locations were eventually converted to Roy Rogers, and the rest were closed. 23. quick serve. Bennigan's was fast becoming one of the most successful mid-range casual dining chains in America. Not only is El Toritos extensive menu filled with Mexican favorites like beef enchiladas, flame-grilled fajitas and traditional burritos, but you also get the option of building your own plate made up of the restaurants most popular menu items. EatThis.com is part of the AllRecipes Food Group. At the time, the addition of tacos was a game changer, as opposed to the integral part of the fast food lexicon it is today. And for more nostalgia, do not miss these17 chain restaurants in the 90s. Though Beefsteak Charlie's slogan was, "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow," sadly, tomorrow came for this chain restaurant by the end of the 1980s. Support . The chain's name was a source of controversy: According to the company, the name was . JoJos in the ring around the mall 625 . Founded in 1974, Chi-Chi's was a Mexican-restaurant chain operating in the United States and Canada up until it filed for bankruptcy in 2004, according to a Journal Times report. If you were around in the early '80s, you might remember Lum's for its signature beer-steamed hot dogs, and if you weren't a hot dog person, there was always the beloved Ollieburger. Burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, salads, and more are available. Football Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti opened the first Gino's Hamburgers in 1957, and by the 70s, he was able to boast over 300 locations. If youre looking for something fresh and new, you can also choose to order the Taco of the Month, which never fails to impress. (The number of units for each chain was computed at the same time, and may have changed since then.) Founded in 1976 and has remained in same location. Casa Gallardo went up against two other chains, Southern California-based El Torito and Minnesota's Chi-Chi's, during the late 1970s and early 1980s in the fight for America's Mexican-food obsession. Most notably, he was a founding partner of Del Taco. } Cafe Rio Mexican Grill Taco Bell As you might expect from the name, Torchys Tacos specializes in tacos and offers exciting and adventurous taco fillings such as fried avocado or blackened salmon. 321. Sold anything but some of their locations, Only the children of the 1990s will remember these restaurants, Long Island and News sites that are no longer / Facebook, The 80's snack that you should never eat again, says science, Only the children of the 1970s will remember these restaurants, Only the children of the 1980s will remember these restaurants, 40 habits to reduce your risk of dementia after 40, The FDA says "Do not get" COVID vaccine if you have this condition. there was a well-known family style restaurant chain called . ), Once the film came out, All American Burger, which was only in the Los Angeles area, has seen a brief boom. Bennigan's was fast becoming one of the most successful mid-range casual dining chains in America. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); > Number of U.S. units: 35. Next time you have a craving for Mexican food or Tex-Mex, we challenge you to try out a new Mexican chain restaurant with friends or family (see also 17 American BBQ Chain Restaurants You Need To Visit). Taco Bell just getting started in Arizona (1966) Bell started his specialized Mexican food drive-in at Barstow [California] in 1962. And thanks to the boom offast food Chains In the 1970s and 1980s, we could sip the same shakes and nibble the same fries for decades. 15. This chain of Mexican restaurants got its start in Minneapolis in 1975, sharing space with a bar owned by an ex-NFL player. But in 1987, Beefsteak Charlie's was sold in Bombay Palace Restaurants and came out of business soon. Torchys Tacos isnt as widespread as some of the other Mexican restaurant chains in the U.S., with less than 100 locations spread across just 13 states. Dick Nager has had a story to help create successful catering chains. Bombay Bicycle Club. It serves traditional Tex-Mex-style tacos, nachos, and burritos, and other Mexican style meals. 13. Interestingly, the chain was founded by a Greek family. There will be 31 in Arizona by the end of the year, Campbell said. Between 2001 and 2011, Country Kitchen closed almost 200 locations, with the total number of restaurants falling from 249 to 52, as sales declined by more than 80% during the same period. El Torito is one of the longest-standing Mexican chain restaurants in America, dating all the way back to 1954! is the restaurants focus on fresh, non-processed ingredients. Next week, the 10th of 20 stands in the Valley will be opened. The lamentations on those departed culinary landmarks have been thorough and frequent . To this day . Brought to life by husband-wife team of Juan and Melanie Martinez, the first Don Juan Mexican Grill opened in 2011, and the made-to-order burritos, bowls, and fresh-fruit smoothies were an instant hit on the East Coast. The original Pollo Loco was in Sinaloa, Mexico, and there is a Mexican chain today, unrelated to the U.S. one. If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance you went to at least one of these restaurants. And though there was a sole storefront holding on for dear life in Nebraska, it too closed in 2017. Without that bright orange chicken, Monday Night Football was never the same. If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. A Mexican fast-food establishment with locations all over the United States, its charming motto was, "Prepare food fresh. In 1977, Mr. Paul purchased the steakhouse. Del Taco was founded in 1964, in California. By 1982 or 1983. At its pinnacle in the 1970s, Burger Chef had 1,200 locations and was a thriving competitor of McDonald's. Cobb Lane Restaurant, Birmingham, 1948-2009. Damon . What started as a hobby in college quickly turned into a passion with which I surrounded my life. In 1983. he was elected to Big Bite's board of directors. 58 (tie) SANTIAGO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT.