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There are plenty of defunct ’90s restaurant chains that should have stuck around longer, most of which quietly faded into oblivion before we had one last bite of our favorites. Don Pablo’s might come to mind; it was the second-largest Mexican chain in America in the ’90s, after all. During its heyday, it served 20 states with over 100 locations, which made it the closest competitor to Chi-Chi’s. The first Don Pablo’s location appeared in Texas in the mid-’80s, and due to its success, it started growing from there — so much so that seven years after its conception, it was already gaining traction with 10 stores.
Perhaps what Don Pablo’s was well-known for was its use of quality ingredients in the form of tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, and more. It didn’t hurt that the prices were quite affordable, too, which made family dinners at Don Pablo’s even more appealing. Other than the food, the exceptional dining experience left an indelible mark, stirring up memories whenever you hear its name. You might remember your excitement from watching how tortillas were made, celebrating your seventh birthday, and seeing how the interiors were grand and a bit theatrical — which the chain allegedly even hired decorators for. Its stores saw frequent revamps, which made it stand out from its sea of competitors. Everything seemed to be looking up for this now-defunct Mexican chain. So where did it all take a turn?
The downfall of Don Pablo’s
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The previously glorious Mexican chain was doing really well in the ’90s, but by the early 2000s, things started to fall apart. It went through different owners before it completely shut down. Avado Brands, which bought Don Pablo’s from DF&R Restaurants in 1995, eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2004. But it seemed that most of Don Pablo’s locations remained open. In 2007, Avado Brands filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy once again, which prompted the management to sell its holdings at an auction. It was already losing a lot of its stores in the process, and eventually, Rita Restaurant Corporation bought Don Pablo’s at the 2008 auction. You would think that after the repeated setbacks, Don Pablo’s would finally turn things around. But it became evident how the restaurant chain continued to struggle financially. In 2016, Rita Restaurant Corporation also filed for bankruptcy, eventually leading a lot of restaurants to cease operations until the last one in Deptford, N.J. closed in 2019.
Rita Restaurant Group pointed to the competitive Mexican restaurant scene, as well as the challenges in casual dining operations. To make things worse, it was during this time when chains like Chipotle began pioneering the fast casual chain boom, causing further decline for Don Pablo’s. Perhaps other than quality food and impressive interiors, the chain never discovered its niche enough to make it stand out. Now, Don Pablo’s is but a fleeting memory, and we can only reminisce about the once-familiar name that brought many of us a lot of good times.
