 | |
 Typical Chiquito's standalone unit development, Kingston-upon-Hull with a previous logo. | |
| Company type | Tex-Mex Mexican themed restaurant chain |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 11 |
| Owner |
|
| Website | chiquito.co.uk |
Chiquito is a restaurant chain based in the United Kingdom specialising in Tex-Mex foods. [1] It also serves food via its virtual restaurants Cornstar Tacos and Kickass Burritos. [2]
The company was established in 1989, [3] and at one stage had sixty eight restaurants across the country. [4] It dubs itself as 'The Original Mexican Grill & Bar', and has been described as the United Kingdom's best known Mexican chain. [5] Until 2023, the Chiquito units were part of the Restaurant Group (TRG). [6]
Sometime in-between 1998 and 2005, TRG began converting former Deep Pan Pizza restaurants into Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and a selection of other brands under the same management.
Following the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced that restaurants of Chiquito would not be reopening after social distancing restrictions are lifted. In an announcement to the stock exchange on 18 March, owners The Restaurant Group announced their intention to place Chiquito into administration. [7] The chain re-opened a limited number of its restaurants in August 2020. [8]
TRG announced in September 2023 that they would sell its loss-making assets (including Chiquito), to The Big Table, who own Café Rouge and Bella Italia for £7.5 million. [9] On October 30, it was announced that the transaction had been completed. [10]
The restaurants, which tend to feature a large bar and lounge style restaurant have rustic interior décor, based on traditional Mexican architecture and culture, where old Mexican posters and photos adorn the walls, alongside piñatas plates, balloons, castanets, fans, and sombreros. [3] [11] Spanish and Mexican music play throughout the restaurant. [12]
Nick Frost, actor and writer, worked at the Staples Corner (London) branch where he first met Simon Pegg. [13]
In November 2015, the chain was one of seven restaurants surveyed that failed to meet a basic level of sustainability in its seafood. [14]
Long John Silver's, formerly known as Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppes and sometimes abbreviated as LJS, is an American chain of fast-food restaurants that specializes in seafood. The brand's name is derived from the character of the same name from Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.
Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips is an American fast food seafood restaurant and former chain. At the peak of its popularity in the late 1970s, it had 826 stores. However, as of March 2023, there were only three stand-alone Arthur Treacher's locations remaining. The menu offers fried seafood or chicken, accompanied by chips.
Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. is an American fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in American-style Mexican cuisine, as well as American foods such as burgers, fries and shakes. Del Taco is led by Brand President Tom Rose, and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California. On December 6, 2021, Jack in the Box announced it was acquiring Del Taco for $12.51 per share. The acquisition was finalized in March 2022. Del Taco has approximately 600 locations in 16 US states.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is an American multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Darden has more than 1,800 restaurant locations and more than 175,000 employees, making it the world's largest full-service restaurant company. The company began as an extension of Red Lobster, founded by William Darden and initially backed by General Mills. Red Lobster was later sold in July 2014.
Ruth's Chris Steak House is a chain of over 100 steakhouses across the United States, Canada and Mexico. On May 22, 2008, the company underwent rebranding and became part of Ruth's Hospitality Group after its acquisition of Mitchell's Fish Market. The group's headquarters are in Winter Park, Florida.
Wagamama Limited is a British restaurant chain, serving Asian food based on Japanese cuisine.
Sizzler USA Restaurants, Inc., doing business as Sizzler, is a United States–based restaurant chain with headquarters in Mission Viejo, California, with locations mainly in California, plus some in the nearby states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Oregon, as well as Puerto Rico. It is known for steak, seafood, and salad bar items.
Uniq plc was a British food manufacturer. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, it was taken over by Irish foods conglomerate Greencore in 2011.
Frankie & Benny's is a chain of Italian-American-themed restaurants in the United Kingdom run by The Big Table. As of November 2022, it had 90 outlets nationwide.
The Restaurant Group plc is a British chain of restaurants and public houses. Their principal trading brands are Wagamama and Barburrito. The Group also operates Pub restaurants and a Concessions business which trades principally at UK airports.
OK Diners Limited is a British chain of roadside restaurants founded in February 1995 by City Centre Restaurants. The chain has a retro American diner theme with 1950s music, chequerboard flooring, booth seating, chrome details and memorabilia on display.
Tortilla Mexican Grill PLC is a Mexican fast-food restaurant based in the United Kingdom, founded in 2007 by Brandon and Jennifer Stephens.
Coast to Coast is a restaurant chain based in the United Kingdom specialising in American foods.
Carluccio's is an Italian restaurant chain founded in London in 1999.
The Big Table Group Limited, formerly Tragus Group and Casual Dining Group (CDG), is a hospitality company in the United Kingdom. The Big Table operates restaurants primarily under the Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny's and Las Iguanas names. It also operates sites under the Banana Tree, Chiquito, Coast to Coast, Firejacks and Filling Station brands. It is owned by Epiris.
EG Group Limited is a British operator of filling stations, convenience stores and food service providers across Europe, the United States and Australia. It was founded in Blackburn in 2001 by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa, initially as Euro Garages.
Liverpool Shopping Park is an out of town retail park located in Edge Lane, Liverpool, England. It is the biggest retail park in Liverpool, overtaking the New Mersey Retail Park in Speke, and has the world's largest Liver Bird at 30 ft (9.1 m) and made of Meccano.
Deep Pan Pizza was a chain of British pizza restaurants, that was best known for its "all you can eat" business model.
The Matador is an American chain of Mexican restaurants, based in Seattle, Washington.
