Iconic MA Chain Restaurant, Closed 20+ Years, Is Coming Back

You know what's a beautiful thing, Massachusetts residents? These days, with more and more restaurants closing their doors, it's a beautiful thing to see restaurants opening or, even better, reopening and trying to make a go of it!

It's not easy operating a restaurant these days, so I applaud every new eatery that tries to make it happen against all odds or sound advice. I also love when famous restaurants you thought were long dead and gone, aim to mount a comeback.

For instance, there was a chain restaurant that was incredibly popular back in the 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s for it's sizable portions of delicious food and it's very lively atmosphere. Oh, and it's margaritas...definitely the MARGARITAS!

Get our free mobile app

Did I give it away with that last one? How about their famous dessert which happened to be the most delicious fried ice cream you could find anywhere! You must be guessing correctly by now!

I'm talking about Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant!! I remember some great times meeting friends there after work. Good food...good times...EXCELLENT margaritas. If you're new to the Beautiful Berkshires (or even if you're not) you may not know this fact.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts had it's own Chi-Chi's decades ago! I don't even remember why they went out of business (sadly, it was a long time ago), but my friends and I were very sad.

After plenty of financial hardships for the brand in the late 1990s and early 2000s, all Chi-Chi's restaurants pretty much closed by 2004. But now here we are, 21 years later, and news came across my desk that woke me right up!

Eat This, Not That reports that Chi-Chi's is officially attempting a comeback, with not one, BUT TWO NEW LOCATIONS! Hang on, don't get too excited...yet. Both new locations will be in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis is the city where Chi-Chi's was founded back in 1976. And you should also know that the son of the original founder is the person leading the revival of the brand along with Hormel (Hormel Foods is the owner of CHI-CHI'S™ trademarks).

I know, I know, Minnesota is too far away for us to get really excited, but think about it. If these two new Chi-Chi's do BIG business, that might slowly lead to more locations opening and that could mean a Chi-Chi's a lot closer to home, at some point.

So keep your fingers, as I am. In the meantime, check out the full story by visiting Eat This, Not That's website here. Now what was I saying about margaritas...?