Amigos (restaurant chain) facts for kids

Amigos is a popular fast-food restaurant chain that serves delicious Mexican-inspired food. It was started in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 17, 1980. Today, there are 30 Amigos restaurants in different cities. Amigos is one of only two restaurant chains in the area that sells a special local dish called "Cheese Frenchees." This tasty item was first invented in Lincoln back in the 1950s.

How Amigos Started

Roger and Jan Moore were the people who opened the very first Amigos restaurant in 1980. They still manage most of the restaurants today! At first, they thought about buying into an existing restaurant chain, but they decided to create their own unique idea instead. After looking into what people in Lincoln, Nebraska, wanted, they realized there was a good chance for a Mexican restaurant. They picked the name "Amigos" because it means "friends" in Spanish, hoping to show that their restaurants would have friendly service and a welcoming feeling. They also wanted to avoid using the word "Taco" in the name.

The first Amigos restaurant did much better than they expected! Because it was so popular, they quickly opened a second location in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Webb Road. This Grand Island location is now the oldest Amigos restaurant still open, because the original Lincoln location closed in 2013. A third restaurant was added in Lincoln in 1984.

What's on the Amigos Menu?

Amigos still sells many of the same favorite foods that were on their very first menu in 1980. Some of these classic items include the original Soft Taco, Enchilada, Crisp Meat Burrito, Crispos, Mexi Fries, Taco Salad, and Nachos.

Roger and Jan Moore have shared that their crisp meat burritos and soft tacos have always been the most popular choices among customers.

What is a Cheese Frenchee?

From their "King's Classic" menu, Amigos serves a special sandwich called a "Cheese Frenchee." This sandwich was invented in Lincoln at a place called King's Food Host in the 1950s. You can still find Cheese Frenchees at Amigos and another restaurant chain called Don & Millie's in Nebraska. No one is completely sure why it's called a "Frenchee," but some people think it might look a bit like a French sandwich called a Croque Monsieur.

Working with Other Brands

Starting in 1996, Amigos began to partner with other restaurant brands. This helped them offer more kinds of food and make their menus different.

• In 1996, Amigos teamed up with A&W. This allowed Amigos locations to also serve burgers and fries. This partnership lasted for six years.
• In 2002, Amigos partnered with Winchell's Donuts and started serving breakfast items.
• In 2003, Amigos joined with King's Classic, a well-known brand from Lincoln. This is when they began selling King's Burgers and the famous Cheese Frenchees.
• More recently, Amigos has also partnered with Kopeli Coffee.
• A partnership with Church's Chicken was tried but did not last very long.