Chevys Fresh Mex

Chevys Fresh Mex is a chain of Mexican-style casual dining restaurants located in the United States. The chain was founded in 1981 by Warren Simmon, Sr. and Warren "Scooter" Simmon, Jr. in Alameda, California. The chain's headquarters are currently located in Cypress, California. The chain is owned by Real Mex Restaurants, Inc. "Chevys" does not contain an apostrophe.

History

The chain was founded in 1981 by Warren Simmon his son Scooter Simmon, when they opened their first restaurant in Alameda, California. It grew to 37 restaurants across California by August 1993, when it was acquired by PepsiCo subsidiary Taco Bell. When PepsiCo decided to exit the restaurant business in 1997, Chevys was sold to the investment group J.W. Childs Associates. In 1999, Chevys purchased Rio Bravo Cantina, a poorly-performing chain of Mexican restaurants with 66 locations in the United States, from Applebee's International for $59 million.

However, business was poor at the Rio Bravo locations, and in 2003 Chevys' executives had to file for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy protection. For the next year and a half, Chevys operated as debtor in possession under Chapter Eleven....
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