Zantigo facts for kids
Original Zantigo chain’s logo
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Successor | Taco Bell |
| Founded | 1969 as Zapata in Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Founder | Marno McDermott |
| Defunct | 1986 |
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Number of locations
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80+ (original chain) 4 (revival chain) |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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Marno McDermott (founder) |
| Products | Mexican food |
| Owner |
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Zantigo is a fast food restaurant chain in America. It serves tasty Mexican food. The first restaurant opened in 1969. It was called Zapata back then. It started in St. Paul, Minnesota. At its busiest, Zantigo had over 80 restaurants. It was sold to Taco Bell in 1986. About ten years later, Zantigo started again. New owners opened restaurants in the St. Paul area.
Contents
The First Zantigo Restaurants (1969–1987)
Zantigo was started in 1969 by Marno McDermott. It was first named Zapata. Marno McDermott also helped start another Mexican restaurant chain called Chi-Chi's.
In 1974, McDermott sold Zapata to a company called Heublein. This company also owned KFC at the time. The home food products from Zapata were renamed Ortega around this time. In 1976, the Zapata restaurants changed their name to Zantigo.
Growing the Zantigo Chain
The Zantigo restaurant chain grew very quickly. TV ads for Zantigo had a Mexican-American narrator. He would end the commercials by saying, "Zantigo – you'll be back, amigo."
In 1977, Zantigo restaurants were doing very well. Each Zantigo store made about $300,000 a year. This was more than a Taco Bell store, which made about $230,000. Zantigo wanted to compete more with Taco Bell.
Changes and Sale to Taco Bell
By 1980, KFC decided to stop Zantigo's growth plans. They wanted to focus more on their main Kentucky Fried Chicken business. In 1982, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company bought Heublein.
Later, in 1985, Reynolds bought another company called Nabisco. The new company, RJR Nabisco, sold off many of its businesses. In 1986, KFC was sold to PepsiCo. PepsiCo already owned Taco Bell, a big Mexican food chain.
Because PepsiCo owned Taco Bell, they decided to close or change all Zantigo restaurants. There were 82 Zantigo locations at that time. By late 1987, all Zantigo stores were gone.
What Happened to the Old Zantigo Stores?
Many Zantigo stores were in better spots or in better shape than nearby Taco Bell locations. So, most Zantigo restaurants became Taco Bell restaurants. The older Taco Bell stores nearby often closed down.
This change also affected how new Taco Bell restaurants looked. Taco Bell started using some of the cool building designs from Zantigo in their new buildings.
Special Menu Items
Zantigo had some unique food items on its menu. These included the Chilito, the Taco Burrito, and Chips 'n' Cheese. When Taco Bell bought Zantigo, they kept the Chilito in some areas. The Chilito later became a menu item across all Taco Bell restaurants. It was then renamed the "Chili-cheese Burrito."
The New Zantigo Chain (1996-Present)
A new Zantigo chain started in 1996. It had new owners. One of the owners used to be a manager at an old Zantigo restaurant. He and his brother opened three new Zantigo restaurants in Minnesota.
Today, there are four Zantigo locations in Minnesota. You can find them in Bloomington, Fridley, Saint Paul, and Woodbury. The newest restaurant is in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is even in a building that used to be an old Zantigo!
