Chi-Chi’s, a Mexican chain restaurant, has reopened its first location since filing for bankruptcy and shutting its doors more than 20 years ago.
Chi-Chi’s opened its new flagship location in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on Monday. The return was highly anticipated, with reservations for opening day fully booked as of Monday morning. The brand relaunched under the leadership of Michael McDermott, son of the chain’s co-founder, Marno McDermott, according to a
Chi-Chi’s filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and closed its last location in 2004. Around the time the chain filed for bankruptcy, a Pennsylvania Chi-Chi’s location was linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak that killed four people and sickened more than 600, the Associated Press reports. The brand’s comeback was built “hand-in-hand with its fans,” the company said in a statement. More than 2,000 people have invested $2.3 million through the restaurant’s campaign on StartEngine, a platform that allows people to invest in startups and early-stage companies. The campaign is still racking up contributions and will close on November 1. The chain plans to open a second location in Minnesota, and its franchise model will allow for further expansion, according to the brand’s StartEngine page. The reopening was also made possible by a 2024 agreement with Hormel Foods, owner of the Chi-Chi’s trademarks. The deal allows McDermott to use the brand’s name on new restaurants. “I still have fond memories of growing up in the Chi-Chi’s restaurants that my father built throughout their time, instilling in me the passion and determination to pursue my own career in the restaurant industry,” McDermott said in a statement late last year, when the deal was first announced. Social media users have since praised the restaurant’s reopening. “Can’t wait!! I loved Chi Chi’s and was heartbroken when they closed,” one user commented on Facebook, underneath a local news report about the reopening. “If I remember correctly, they had a seafood enchilada that was absolutely delicious,” another user wrote. “And deep fried ice cream.” The Independent has contacted Chi-Chi’s for comment.
