Don Pablo's facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Fate | Closure by parent |
| Founded | 1985 in Lubbock, Texas |
| Defunct | June 23, 2019 |
| Headquarters | San Antonio, Texas |
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Number of locations
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120 (at its peak in 1998) |
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Area served
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Midwest, East Coast, Southern United States |
| Products | Burritos, Tacos, Quesadillas, Fajitas, Enchiladas |
| Owner | Food Management Partners |
Don Pablo's was a chain of restaurants in America. It was famous for its delicious Tex-Mex food, which is a mix of Texas and Mexican cooking styles. The menu had tasty items like Burritos, Tacos, and Fajitas. They even made their own fresh salsa and tortillas.
The very first Don Pablo's opened in Lubbock, Texas, in 1985. At its busiest, around the late 1990s, there were about 120 Don Pablo's restaurants all over the United States. It was the second-largest full-service Mexican restaurant chain in the country at that time. Over the years, the number of restaurants slowly went down. The last Don Pablo's restaurant closed its doors on June 23, 2019.
Contents
The Story of Don Pablo's
How Don Pablo's Started
The Don Pablo's restaurant chain began in 1985. It was started by a company called DF&R Restaurants Inc., based in Texas. The restaurants grew quickly, first spreading across Texas and then opening new places in the Midwest.
New Owners and Big Changes
By 1995, there were 51 Don Pablo's restaurants. A company called Apple South noticed how well Don Pablo's was doing. Apple South bought DF&R in 1995. At that time, Apple South owned many other restaurants, including a lot of Applebee's.
A couple of years later, Apple South decided to sell off all its Applebee's restaurants. They wanted to focus only on Don Pablo's and their other company-owned chains. After selling the Applebee's, Apple South even changed its name to Avado Brands. This showed they were changing their business focus.
Facing Tough Times
Things did not go as well as Avado Brands had hoped. In 2004, the company had to file for bankruptcy. This meant they were having serious money problems. At that time, there were 106 Don Pablo's restaurants. Avado Brands managed to get out of bankruptcy a year later, with 96 Don Pablo's still open.
However, after trying to make the brand popular again for two more years, Avado Brands faced money troubles a second time. In September 2007, they filed for bankruptcy again. This led to about half of their 90 Don Pablo's locations closing or being sold.
More Changes in Ownership
In 2008, a company called Rita Restaurant Corporation bought 41 Don Pablo's locations. Rita tried to make the brand stronger by closing restaurants that weren't doing well. They even sold a franchise to someone in Florida, who opened a Don Pablo's in Sarasota, Florida, in 2012. This Sarasota location was the last franchised Don Pablo's until it closed in 2015.
In 2014, another company, Food Management Partners (FMP), bought the chain. At this point, there were 34 Don Pablo's restaurants left. FMP also owned other restaurant chains. While FMP owned Don Pablo's, many more locations closed across the country.
The Final Years and Closures
In October 2016, Rita Restaurant Corporation, which still owned some Don Pablo's, filed for bankruptcy again. By this time, the number of Don Pablo's restaurants had been cut in half. Many locations closed suddenly, including all four in the Indianapolis area.
When the bankruptcy was announced, only 12 Don Pablo's restaurants were left. Over the next few months, more restaurants quietly disappeared from the Don Pablo's website. By February 2018, only 8 locations remained.
The closures continued throughout 2018. By July 2018, there were only 6 locations left, mostly in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas. In September 2018, the Christiana, Delaware restaurant closed, leaving just 5.
By November 2018, the Moorestown, New Jersey, and Fort Worth, Texas, restaurants also closed. This left only three Don Pablo's locations. Soon after, the last restaurant in Maryland closed, and the last one in Texas disappeared from the website. This meant only one Don Pablo's was left, in Deptford Township, New Jersey. This very last Don Pablo's finally closed its doors in June 2019, bringing an end to the chain.
