Monday, May 17, 2021

The rise and fall of Chi-Chi's (by Recollection Road)


I was reminded that Chi-Chi's was a thing that existed the other day and actually wondered if it was still around, having not heard the brand name in years. Imagine my surprise to find out it's been gone since 2004 due to a failed expansion out of the Mid-Western United States as other similar brands such as On The Border and Taco Bell started rising in popularity, people wanting real and authentic Mexican food after apparently getting tired of Tex-Mex cuisine and a Hepatitis A outbreak caused by tainted green onions shipped out from Mexico at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-area location as they were in dire financial straits and had fewer locations than they did back then. At least their salsa is still sold in stores under the Chi-Chi's name thanks to Hormel, and you can still find a few locations in Europe, but it's sad to see a restaurant brand from when I was a kid had gone under.

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