The U.S. has about 80,000 Mexican restaurants, representing roughly 10% of the nation’s restaurant industry. The market includes many independent operators and major chains such as Taco Bell, Chipotle, Del Taco, and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Some Mexican and Tex-Mex chains that were once popular are now declining and may disappear. Abuelo’s, a Texan chain founded in the 1980s, expanded to around 40 locations by its peak and recovered after a downturn in the late 2010s. Growth later faltered during the pandemic, and customers reported that the food quality and overall experience were worse than before, contributing to closures.
"Many Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant chains that were once incredibly popular are now beginning to decline, and some are close to disappearing completely. Here, we take a closer look at the beloved Mexican restaurant chains that are getting closer to the history books, from Abuelo's to Acapulco. If your favorite is on this list, we recommend heading to your local spot and ordering a burrito, stat."
"Texan chain Abuelo's, founded in the 1980s by Taiwanese restaurateur James Young together with entrepreneurs Chuck Anderson and Dirk Rambo, enjoyed success throughout the 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it boasted 40 locations in Florida, South Carolina, Kansas, and beyond. But in 2007, things got rocky; it looked like Abuelo's, which prides itself on offering authentic Mexican food rather than just Tex-Mex, was down and out."
"Unfortunately, though, that growth didn't last. The pandemic threw Abuelo's into a state of turmoil, but customers also felt that the chain just wasn't as good as it used to be. "Last time we went it was [awful] and no one was there," wrote one Redditor in response to the news that one of its restaurants in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was closing. "A year or so before that, it was delicious and pa"
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