1 of 40. The original Chuy's in Austin, Texas An El Pollo Loco location in Hacienda Heights, California A Taco John's location in Athens, Ohio A Qdoba, with the chain's former "Qdoba Mexican Grill" signage, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota Pancho Villa restaurant in Seinäjoki, Finland Fast food Mexican restaurants Former Mexican restaurants Chi-Chi's Don Pablo's Take Bennigan's, for example. The Pearlman brothers eventually sold the chain to Kentucky Fried Chicken for $4 million and the brand was eventually phased out, with the final Lum's closing in 2009. You could argue that the Yum! By J Swygart - jswygart@limanews.com. Unlike a typical Tex-Mex restaurant, El Pollo Loco started out in Guasave, Mexico, as a roadside chicken stand in 1975. Take Sambo's, for example. The new location — once home to McAllister's Deli — features an indoor/outdoor bar and pickup window for to-go orders. . Kogi BBQ is now selling bulk packages of its sauces at Smart & Final, with flavors ranging from Korean BBQ to sweet orange chili sauce with garlic and soy. 2 / 41. . Operating 133 restaurants in 12 states, Cafe Rio serves up Mexican classics. McDonald's. Two hundred of the 14,000 McDonald's stores have closed. The chain's most famous dish is the sweet pork barbacoa burrito made enchilada-style. Worcester's El Morocco restaurant was in operation from 1943 to 1996, first at 73 Wall St. and later at 100 Wall St. In a . Today, the chain is defunct -- after dwindling down to one location, the last Howard Johnson's restaurant (in Lake George, New York) closed during the 2021 COVID pandemic. The west Valley restaurant was overseen by Kelly Fletcher, the former executive chef of . The last remaining Don Pablo's Mexican restaurant abruptly closed its doors in Deptford Township on Sunday night, ending a run for the chain that began in Texas in 1985. However, the chain filed for bankruptcy several times, and . Taco Bell Taco Bell is the undisputed king of Mexican fast food in the US and has been growing rapidly in recent years, opening more than 200 new locations each year, and in 2019 doubled its spending on television ads to $64 million. Godvari is an authentic South Indian restaurant chain. A local chain of Mexican restaurants has closed one of its locations. Mexican Restaurants Restaurants. Founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, Moe's is a relative newcomer in the fast-casual Mexican chain game. Their lease was up and they were unable to work out satisfactory terms. The restaurant opened in June . According to several sources, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Lexington has shut down, with a Facebook post from the Bedford Street spot saying that yesterday was its last day, inviting customers to "stop in for one last toast to all of the great memories we've shared with you all." According to a source, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Weymouth is no longer in operation, with a Facebook post from the place confirming that the Bridge Street dining spot shut down earlier this month. Photo Courtesy: @Applebees/Twitter. It had permanently closed more than 20 . A regional chain of Mexican restaurants has closed one of its Boston-area locations. Chzburgr. Chi-Chi's Chi-Chi's, the casual Mexican restaurant chain, was founded in 1975, and by 1995 it had over 210 locations. We think food is more flavorful when you start with the highest quality ingredients, so come in and try one of our easy to order, chef-crafted Signature Eats. Taco Shack. It was acquired by Bombay Palace Restaurants, and by 1989, only 35 locations remained when that group filed for bankruptcy. But the original McDonald's drive-in, which was founded in 1948 . YPSILANTI — Lauded Mexican restaurant Dolores in Ypsilanti is closed for now and possibly for good. The restaurant shared the announcement on Friday, June 5, to followers that it . But not long after updating the locations in Chandler . According to a source, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Medford is no longer in business, with a Facebook post confirming that the Station Landing location has indeed shut down. Arro - closed February . 12 Valle's Steak House Shutterstock Valle's Steak House was an American chain of restaurants that operated on the East Coast beginning in 1933, and at one point employed over 3,600 people. Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurant tv commercial Or create your own . Mexican Restaurants Caterers Latin American Restaurants. 2101 Greentree Rd. Rubio's, a California-based chain of Mexican restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October and closed more than two dozen locations. A local Mexican restaurant chain has closed the doors of its popular Westport location. Coronavirus: Mexican food chain Wahaca to close more than a third of restaurants due to pandemic. The company said that pandemic is not the main reason but only accelerated the process of their initial plan. The owner of the restaurant chain, Dine Brands, has been trying to come up with better deals to bring in customers, like the $1 alcoholic . But the original McDonald's drive-in, which was founded in 1948 . 5. Closed. The chain closed for good in the late '90s. From there, unfortunately, it was all downhill. Cantina Laredo - Two notable locations of this longtime Tex-Mex chain closed: Preston-Royal, which closed on December 20, a victim of both COVID-19 and the 2019 tornado; and Fort Worth, which . Huntington Beach reopened in August with expanded patio dining, but Lake Elsinore remained closed. La Sardine. The Top Mexican Restaurant Franchises of 2022 1. Perkins Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock 2019 and 2020 closings: At least 33 Great Northern: Westword reports the restaurant at 8101 E. Belleview Ave. in the Denver Tech Center has closed. Today, it's been all but forgotten. The restaurant located at . Here's a list of iconic Austin restaurants who have closed in recent years: Alcomar - closed May 2018. Much like many other chains on our list, Burger Chef spawned over 1,000 locations and even introduced the concept of getting a toy with kid's meals. The future of Noodles & Company is uncertain, and they will likely close more of their locations. Cheba Hut's Harmony Road spot is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays . Variously described by local media as "world-renowned" and a "landmark," this Tucson Mexican institution was born in the mid-1980s at a different location, moving to larger quarters in 1989. CLOSED NOW. Cuca's Mexican Food: This Redlands chain closed one of its restaurants near Loma Linda . 1856 reviews. The five top chains, in fact, all exceeded the $10 billion-dollar mark (the others. 2. 1 of 40. Now, another beloved restaurant chain has called it quits after the last Howard Johnson's restaurant finally closed its doors. Broken English Taco Pub. Among the stores closed were the first U.S. Burgerim, in Montclair, and a location in Moreno Valley. Three new Nedick's locations opened in high-profile New York locations that year, but they've all since closed. It appears that other local outlets in Framingham . 9 Little Tavern Old Time D.C./Facebook Rubio's, the Mexican fast-casual chain with locations in California, Arizona, and Nevada, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on October 26. There was another Don Jose chain founded in Orange in 1972 that has become Rodrigo's Mexican Grill. The west Valley restaurant was overseen by Kelly Fletcher, the former executive chef of . From our unique ingredients, freshly prepared in-house throughout the day, to our friendly, dedicated employees, we bring flavor to the communities we serve. 809 . At that point, the chain had just 60 stores and had been in the middle of a bankruptcy filing that led it to sell its remaining locations. Now we have Taco Bell, but way back when, Naugles was the place to get your Mexican food fix. Mesero, the Mex/Tex-Mex restaurant chain founded by Mico Rodriguez, closed its location at 2822 Henderson Ave. on August 19. Story updated 10:24 a.m. Monday One stretch of Lawrence street is losing another Mexican . That establishment, which still has a location in Sudbury, closed in Framingham in November 2016. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill. 14 Failed Restaurant Chains That Have Closed For Good. The chain grew to 60 East Coast locations. The giant red barns were hard to miss, and the jingle was pretty catchy: "When the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn!" Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca has become the latest food business to suffer due to the coronavirus pandemic, with more than a third of its outlets in the UK closing. Chi-Chi's restaurants may be gone, but you'll still see the Chi-Chi's name on nacho chips and salsa in grocery stores. I personally think it is an abomination that such a wonderful Mexican restaurant in the valley has closed down and I mean all of its location…. The Mexican seafood restaurant closed because of high rent costs. Mexi Casa. It was established in 1998, according to its website. Tacorea. Sadly, all the Casa Bonitas closed by 2011, except for one. 27-year West Hollywood Brazilian. Rio Bravo Tacos & Tequila shuttered its 1460 Post Rd. 414 S Mill Ave. Tempe, AZ 85281. [2] In 2017, the owners began closing stores due to poor performance, and developed a small store concept named "Cuban Cafe". The ASK Italian and Zizzi owner closed 75 of its restaurants with 1,200 job losses after collapsing into insolvency. Old Country Buffet 17. In the most recent quarter, sales were down 3.1% at its cafeterias open at least a year, and 1.2% fewer customers were coming through the doors. In the past few years, Applebee's has closed over 120 locations, dropping down to around 1,800 physical restaurants. Chzburgr, a burger joint near Arizona State University's west campus, has permanently closed. The chain's unique menu and distinctive glass-doored storefronts made it popular enough to support 400 locations at one point. Top 500 Chains; Top 100 Independents; Future 50: Emerging Brands; Special Reports. Brands (YUM) - Get Yum! Azzurri, which also runs the Coco di Mama food-to-go chain, was . Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the U.S. throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with more than 1,000 combined company-owned and franchised outlets. The chain, which was co-founded by former Masterchef champion Thomasina. Here are many notable chains that have closed locations permanently, including some of the nation's most beloved buffet restaurants. Nine Wahaca outlets closed after 'norovirus outbreak' Naugles Tacos Makes A Comeback Will these restaurant chains close before the end of. Top 10 BEST Mexican Fast Food Chains in America Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant closes doors after 70 years. Longstanding Phoenix Mexican restaurant chain Dos Gringos Mexigrill got a new menu and decor after new ownership took over in September 2019. Credit: AP / Gene J. Puskar. Second-place Starbucks managed a mere $19.66 billion, just over half the McDonald's number, but still not bad. The chain will "try and save jobs" wherever possible after deciding rental costs make some city . At its peak in the late 1970s, the chain had well more than 1,000 locations in 47 states. SAN JOSE — After 40 years at 2040 N. First Street, a location of fast food chain McDonald's has lost its lease and will close at the end of September, the Bay Area News Group reports . The supermarket chain was founded in the mid-1800s and has been described as the first version of a massive retailer like Walmart. Source: Franchise Times. A former Red Barn . In hopes of turning things around, the chain has . You know it as the absolute best spot for any family's special celebrations. In 2019, 34 company-owned and franchise restaurants had their very last "last call," according to NBC's "Today," and media reports indicate at least another four either have closed or will be shutting down in 2020, including the only Fridays in Rhode Island. 50 Great Ideas; The Power 20; 10 Groundbreaking Concepts; 50 Hot Sellers; . The first Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant opened in downtown Minneapolis in 1975 and was one of the breakout restaurants of the year; by 1986 a whopping 237 locations had been opened, with 42 opening in 1985 alone. Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca permanently shut the door to more than a third of its restaurants through its restructuring. Taqueria Delicias Mexican Grill restaurant could. Vesta: The restaurant at 1822 Blake St. opened in . The Chicago Tribune first reported that the . The location, which operated in Lake George, New York, for nearly 70 . Check out the 30 worst restaurant chains in America, ranked from terrible to worse. This seafood restaurant chain, which first opened in Houston in 1991, shrank by over a third when 41 locations abruptly went out of business in 2017. The restaurant, in its best years in the 1950s and '60s, drew Hollywood stars . RED BARN — A small-town burger chain founded in Ohio in 1961, Red Barn at its peak had hundreds of restaurants across the US, Canada, and Australia. It currently enjoys the position of top Mexican restaurant chain on Ranker, and knocked Chipotle out of its place as America's favorite Mexican restaurant brand in 2016 and 2017. But a . According to a source, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Weymouth is no longer in operation, with a Facebook post from the place confirming that the Bridge Street dining spot shut down earlier this month. The newbie grew quickly, expanding to 700 locations by late 2017. Burger Chef. The restaurant opened at the former location of Acapulco's Mexican chain restaurant. One of McDonald's biggest competitors from the 1950s all the way through to the 70s was the restaurant chain known as Burger Chef. There are currently 2 locations in the Houston area [1] [3] and two locations in the DFW area. Fifty-five of their spots were closed in 2017, and in 2018, they closed ten more. Minnie Pearl's Chicken Carnegie, PA 15106. And more have closed since then, including restaurants in California, Texas and South Carolina last year. Here is what I remember about this Mexican chain: a woman making tortillas by hand, a delicious corn dish called tomalito, and very large margaritas. But, in 2016, the last A&P stores closed their doors for good. Find the best Mexican Restaurants near you on Yelp - see all Mexican Restaurants open now and reserve an open table. All 97 locations of this soup and salad buffet chain are closing, putting 4,400 employees out of work.The first Souplantation opened in San Diego in 1978, and the chain grew to nearly 100 . Specialties: At QDOBA Mexican Eats, we're all about flavor. But in 1982 General Foods decided to get out of the burger business and sold the chain to Imasco Ltd., the parent company of Hardee's. Many of the Burger Chef restaurants closed, and those .