Whatever Happened To Minnesota-Founded Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurant?

The logo for Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant was simple but effective. I saw it posted on a vintage Facebook page yesterday and the bright red font immediately made me crave chips and salsa. I treated myself to that snack and wondered whatever happened to that chain.

If you're feeling hungry, I suggest eating now because you might lose your appetite when you learn what happened to Chi-Chi's. Founded in Minnesota during the 1970s, the restaurant became a massive chain with hundreds of locations across the United States. However, today, there's only one left in the entire world.

The History Of Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant

Before co-founding the restaurant, Max McGee spent 12 years as a player for the Green Bay Packers. He might be most famous for his remarkable performance in the first Super Bowl - He was severely hungover that day.

He hadn't played much that year so he decided to party hard the night before the big game and stayed out until 6:30 am. He was in rough shape when he met up with the team before the game, but according to Sports Illustrated, he played like a legend catching seven passes for 138 yards and scoring the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. 

After football McGee and Marno McDermott decide to venture into the restaurant business. Inspired by McDermott's wife, who was affectionately called "Chi Chi," they established Chi-Chi's Mexican restaurant in Richfield, Minnesota, in 1975.

What Happened to Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant?

The restaurant in Richfield quickly became popular and expanded to more than 200 locations across the country over the next twenty years. The food was exactly what you'd expect from a chain restaurant but people couldn't get enough until people started getting sick.

Chi-Chi's started fading in the late 90s and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The final nail in the coffin came in 2003.

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Tasting Table explains, "After serving a contaminated batch of green onions at a location on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Chi-Chi's was held accountable for infecting over 600 people with the disease (hepatitis) and killing four. The outbreak formidably ruined the brand's reputation in the restaurant industry, leading to the closure of its remaining locations."

There's Only One Chi-Chi's Left In The Entire World

If you're craving a blast from the past you'll need to travel to the other side of the world. The only remaining Chi-Chi's restaurant is in Vienna, Austria.