Amigos (restaurant chain) facts for kids

Amigos is a popular fast-food restaurant chain that serves tasty Mexican-style food. It first opened its doors in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 17, 1980. Today, there are 30 Amigos restaurants in different cities. Amigos is also one of the few places where you can find a special sandwich called a "Cheese Frenchee." This unique treat was first made by another Lincoln restaurant, King's Food Host, back in the 1950s.

The Story of Amigos

Roger and Jan Moore started 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 then, they decided to create their own unique restaurant idea. They looked into what people in Lincoln, Nebraska, wanted. They found that a Mexican restaurant would be a great idea. They chose the name "Amigos" because it means "friends" in Spanish. They hoped it would show their friendly service and atmosphere.

The first Amigos restaurant was very successful, even more than they expected! Soon after, they opened a second location in Grand Island, Nebraska on Webb Road. This Grand Island location is now the oldest Amigos restaurant still operating. The original Lincoln location closed permanently in 2013. A second Amigos restaurant in Lincoln was added in 1984.

Popular Amigos Menu Items

Amigos still sells many of the favorite foods that were on its first menu in 1980. 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 the King's Classic menu, Amigos serves a special sandwich called a "Cheese Frenchee." This sandwich is based on an old recipe from King's Food Host, a restaurant from Lincoln that started in the 1950s. You can still find the Cheese Frenchee at Amigos and at another restaurant chain called Don & Millie's in Nebraska. No one is completely sure why it's called a "Frenchee." Some people think it might look a bit like a French sandwich called a Croque Monsieur.

Amigos Partnerships and Co-branding

Starting in 1996, Amigos restaurants began to partner with other food 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. With this new team-up, Amigos started serving breakfast items.
• In 2003, Amigos joined with King's Classic. This brought back an old, famous brand from Lincoln. They began selling King's Burgers and the popular Cheese Frenchees.
• More recently, Amigos has partnered with Kopeli Coffee.
• A short partnership with Church's Chicken also happened for a brief time.