Chi-Chi's, a beloved name from the '80s and '90s, is ready to return to the restaurant scene.
Chi-Chi’s Is About to Make a Comeback—Here’s What We Know
Published on Dec. 05, 2024
It’s fair to say that the ’80s and ’90s were a golden age of chain restaurants. Many of the sit-down spots we still know and love today—Applebee’s, Chili’s, Outback, Texas Roadhouse—were founded, franchised or expanded nationally during this era. Though chains have had to navigate everything from the Great Recession to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve weathered every storm and lived to see another decade.
Not every restaurant concept made it through, though. Chi-Chi’s, a popular Tex-Mex chain founded in Minneapolis in 1975, didn’t end up thriving in the 21st century. But recently, CNN reported that Chi-Chi’s wants to reopen for business.
Is Chi-Chi’s coming back?
For many Americans, especially those in the Midwest, Chi-Chi’s was our first encounter with Tex-Mex cuisine. When it opened, the restaurant intended to capitalize on the public’s budding taste for Mexican flavors, and it even helped turn this craving from a nascent trend into an established part of the American culinary landscape.
The Midwest popularity of Chi-Chi’s led to an expansion nationwide and even overseas, yet the chain didn’t prove quite as popular elsewhere as it did in its original market. Part of that was because other areas of the country presented more competition in the Tex-Mex realm, not to mention the general rise in casual full-service competitors like Olive Garden. Chi-Chi’s declared bankruptcy in 2002 and has operated only a few scant international locations since 2004.
In 2024, there’s hope yet for diners who carry a torch for Chi-Chi’s. CNN’s reporting noted that Michael McDermott, son of Chi-Chi’s co-founder Marno McDermott, has requested permission from Hormel, current owner of the Chi-Chi’s brand, to use the name on new restaurants opening in 2025. Hormel has granted this permission, though specifics about the new restaurants have not yet been provided.
“We have seen the impact our restaurant has had on individuals and families across the country and believe there is a strong opportunity to bring the brand back in a way that resonates with today’s consumer,” McDermott said in a press release, describing the new venture as “an updated dining experience with the same great taste and Mexican flavor.”
When can I order Chi-Chi’s salsa again?
For fans of the brand, there’s one place it never went away—the grocery store. Hormel owns the Chi-Chi’s brand, so it can continue to sell salsas, tortillas, chips and queso under the restaurant’s name. While we wait for more details about the restaurants, we can still get a nostalgic taste of Chi-Chi’s food.
