Holy Burros: Chi-Chi’s Restaurant to Make a Comeback After 20 Years

I can honestly say I never thought, for a million years, that we’d ever see a Chi-Chi’s brick and mortar restaurant again. But, according to a story on RestaurantNews.com, that’s exactly what’s on the cusp of happening.

Michael McDermott, the son of the original Chi-Chi’s founder, struck a deal with Hormel Foods, who owns the restaurant name, to begin opening physical restaurant locations. While Chi-Chi’s restaurants have been extinct for two decades, packaged salsas, tortillas and other such products have continued owning spots on grocery store shelves.

The Mexican chain was originally founded in 1975 by restaurateur Marno McDermott — his nickname was “Chi-Chi” — and former Green Bay Packers player Max McGee. It soared in popularity, eventually reaching about 200 locations, including several in the Louisville area. People gorged themselves on the free chips and salsa, and finished their meals with the much ballyhooed fried ice cream. The younger McDermott now wants to honor his family’s legacy — and rekindle the memories of countless customers — by bringing back the beloved 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 told RestaurantNews.com. “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 – an updated dining experience with the same great taste and Mexican flavor.”

I started going to Chi-Chi’s restaurants in the late 1980s, specifically to the location in Clarksville, where I lived at the time. As a young reporter for the Jeffersonville newspaper, Chi-Chi’s offered a restaurant experience with affordable prices. My co-worker Eugene Embry and I went to Chi-Chi’s at least once per week in those days. For me, the usual lunch was a chicken burrito (am I wrong, or did they refer to them as “burros”?), which as I recall was served with a verde sauce, while Eugene was a fan of the chicken chimichanga. Those were the days.

A few years later, after I got married, my then-wife and I used to hit that Chi-Chi’s from time to time with our son, Scott. The last location I ever patronized was the one in Bashford Manor Mall, and I’d give pretty good odds on the probability I ordered a chicken burro for old time’s sake.

McDermott didn’t reveal any potential locations for future Chi-Chi’s restaurants, which he estimates will begin opening next year. He said the menus will be a blend of the classic recipes “with modern influences.”

Here’s my guess: We probably won’t get a Chi-Chi’s in the Louisville market unless the chain takes off again. And I’d also wager it won’t taste exactly like we remember. In fact, with the proliferation of quality Mexican options we have in town, we might even realize that what we thought was gourmet cuisine at the time might be a bit disappointing today. But if one opens, I’ll definitely go, and there’d better be verde sauce on my chicken burro.