Chiquito is a restaurant chain based in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
specialising in
Tex-Mex foods
Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...
.
[(4 March 2010)]
Go Mexican for a hot chain meal
''Bristol Evening Post'' It also serves food via its
virtual restaurants Cornstar Tacos and Kickass Burritos.
History
The company was established in 1989,
and has sixty eight restaurants across the country.
It dubs itself as 'The Original Mexican Grill & Bar', and has been described as the United Kingdom's best known Mexican chain.
Chiquito restaurants are part of
the Restaurant Group
The Restaurant Group plc is a British chain of restaurants and public houses. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
History
The company was founded by Matthew Brown from Chatteris in 1987 as City Centre Restaurants plc with the objective of ...
.
Following the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, 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. The chain re-opened a limited number of its restaurants in August 2020.
Decor and style
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
A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the per ...
,
castanets
Castanets, also known as ''clackers'' or ''palillos'', are a percussion instrument (idiophone), used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss, and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a similar ...
, fans, and
sombreros
A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the we ...
.
Notable past employees
Nick Frost
Nicholas Jonathan Frost (born 28 March 1972) is a British actor, author, comedian, painter, producer and screenwriter. He has appeared in the ''Three Flavours Cornetto'' trilogy of films, consisting of ''Shaun of the Dead'' (2004), ''Hot Fuzz ...
, actor and writer, worked at the Staples Corner (London) branch where he first met Simon Pegg
Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...
.
Environmental record
In November 2015, the chain was one of seven restaurants surveyed that failed to meet a basic level of sustainability in its seafood.
References
External links
*
{{UK Food
Restaurant groups in the United Kingdom
Restaurants established in 1989
Mexican restaurants