Don Pablo's

Don Pablo’s was an American chain of Tex-Mex restaurants founded in Lubbock, Texas, in 1985.[1] The menu features Tex-Mex items, made-from-scratch salsa, tortillas and sauces, and a range of other Mexican specialties. At one time, this chain had as many as 120 locations throughout the United States and was the second largest full-service Mexican restaurant chain within the United States during the late 1990s, second only to Chi-Chi's.[2] The chain had 34 restaurants in 14 states when it was acquired in 2014 by Food Management Partners.[3] By October 2016, the chain was reduced to 12 restaurants in 9 states,[4] 6 restaurants in 4 states by July 2018, [5] 5 restaurants in 3 states by September 2018,[6] and later 3 restaurants in 3 states by November 2018.[7] The remaining restaurants in the struggling chain gradually and quietly closed over the next seven months until the last restaurant in Deptford Township, New Jersey, finally closed on June 23, 2019.

Don Pablo's
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryRestaurants
FateClosure by parent
Founded1985 (1985) in Lubbock, Texas
DefunctJune 23, 2019 (2019-06-23)
HeadquartersSan Antonio, Texas
Number of locations
120 (at its peak in 1998)
Area served
Midwest, East Coast, Southern United States
ProductsBurritos, Tacos, Quesadillas, Fajitas, Enchiladas
OwnerFood Management Partners
WebsiteLast archive of official website (June 2019)

History

This chain of Tex-Mex restaurants was started by Texas-based DF&R Restaurants Inc. in 1985.[8] After a period of rapid growth throughout the state of Texas, Don Pablo's began to build new locations in the Midwest.[9]

By 1995, DF&R had 51 Don Pablo's locations which made Madison, Georgia-based Apple South to notice the chain successful growth rate during the previous ten years of operation. This led to Apple South's purchase of DF&R in 1995.[10] At the time of the purchase, Apple South was one of the largest franchise holders in the Applebee's restaurant system with 170 Applebee's restaurants, along with operating restaurants from other franchise chains, with most of the properties located in the South and Midwest.[11] Two years later, Apple South decided to divest all of its 264 Applebee's franchises (in a franchise system that had 960 units), along with its other franchise properties, to focus its efforts on the 120-unit Don Pablo's and the other company-owned chains.[12][13] Shortly after the Applebee's restaurant divesture, Apple South changed its name to Avado Brands to emphasise the change of business.[14][15]

Things did not go as well as Avado had originally planned, and it filed for bankruptcy in 2004.[16][17] At that time, it had 106 Don Pablo's. Avado exited bankruptcy a year later with 96 Don Pablo's in operation.[18] After spending two years trying to revitalize the brand,[19] Avado filed for bankruptcy for the second time in September 2007[20] and subsequently closed or sold about half of its 90 locations.[21][22]

In February 2008, 41 Don Pablo's locations were acquired by Rita Restaurant Corporation of Madison, Georgia, a fully owned subsidiary of DDJ Capital Management of Waltham, Massachusetts.[23][24] Rita tried to revitalize the brand by closing under-performing locations and selling franchises. A franchise was sold to a Florida-based operator who re-opened a Don Pablo's in Sarasota, Florida, in 2012.[25][26][27] The Sarasota location was the sole remaining franchise[26] until it was finally closed in 2015.[28]

In 2014, the 34-unit chain was acquired by San Antonio-based Food Management Partners (FMP).[3] FMP is also a franchise operator of Buffalo Wild Wings and several Italian restaurant chains.[29] While FMP owned the company, locations were closed in February 2014 at Atlanta, Georgia;[30] in August 2014 at Hobart, Indiana;[31][32] in February 2015 at Canton, Ohio;[33][34] in April 2015 at Flint, Michigan;[35] in February 2016 at Greenville, South Carolina[36] and Maple Grove, Minnesota;[37] in August 2016 at Richfield, Minnesota[38] and Newport, Kentucky;[39] and in September 2016 at Beavercreek, Ohio[40] and Owings Mills, Maryland.[41]

On October 4, 2016, Rita Restaurant Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after nearly cutting the number of Don Pablo's locations in half.[42] At the time of the bankruptcy announcement, all four Indianapolis-area locations[43] along with locations in Battle Creek, Michigan[44] and Toledo, Ohio[45] were immediately closed with little advance warning. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, there were 12 restaurants remaining.[4][46] By November 2016, the Alexandria, Virginia location quietly disappeared from the Don Pablo's website.[47] The Eden Prairie, Minnesota location quietly disappeared from the Don Pablo's website sometime between February[48] and July 2017.[49] The contents of the Eden Prairie restaurant was auctioned off in March.[50] The Shelby Charter Township, Michigan location disappeared from the Don Pablo's website sometime between July 8[49] and July 19.[51] In February 2018, the Don Pablo's location in Lafayette, Indiana quietly closed to leave 8 remaining locations.[52]

In April 2018, the Grand Prairie, Texas location quietly closed its doors to leave the number of locations at 7 by May 2018.[53]

In July 2018, the Norwood, Ohio location closed its doors to leave a total number of 6 locations.[54] At the time of the closing, the remaining locations were in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas. Two months later, the Christiana, Delaware restaurant was closed in September 2018[6] to leave just 5 restaurants in three states.[55]

In early November 2018, the Moorestown, New Jersey, restaurant closed for the final time[56] and about the same time, the listing for the Fort Worth, Texas, restaurant disappeared from the Don Pablo's website to leave three locations in the states of Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas remaining in the failing chain.[7] Just two and a half weeks later, the Baltimore location, the last location in Maryland, was closed just days before Thanksgiving[57] while the last Don Pablo's restaurant in Texas also disappeared from the website, leaving Deptford Township, New Jersey as the last one in business.[58][59] The Deptford location finally closed in June 2019.[60][61][62]

See also

References
  1. "Don Pablo's Wins 'Best Mexican Restaurant' in Restaurants & Institutions' 'Choice in Chains' Awards". Business Wire (Press release). August 8, 2006.
  2. Gibson, Richard (September 23, 1998). "Applebee's Hopes to Determine Direction For Ailing Rio Bravo Chain by Year End". The Wall Street Journal (Eastern ed.). p. B11C. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20. [Lawrence M. Folk] resigned in August from Apple South Inc., where he had been president of its Don Pablo's Mexican restaurant division. Until recently, Apple South was the largest franchisee of Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants, but decided to shed its Applebee's outlets to concentrate on what it considered better growth opportunities, among them Don Pablo's. Don Pablo's now has 117 units, second only to closely held Family Restaurants Inc.' Chi-Chi's chain in the Mexican-style restaurant sector. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  3. "Don Pablo's acquired by Food Management Partners: Multi-concept operator buys 34-unit Tex-Mex casual-dining chain". Nation's Restaurant News. January 31, 2014.
  4. Smith, Aaron (October 4, 2016). "Don Pablo's Tex-Mex chain files for bankruptcy protection". KITV. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05.
  5. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2018-07-28.
  6. Talorico, Patricia (September 25, 2018). "Don Pablo's shuts down longtime Christiana restaurant". Delaware News-Journal.
  7. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2018-11-12.
  8. Ruggles, Ron (December 6, 1993). "DF&R gears to expand Don Pablo's concept. (DF&R Restaurants Inc., Don Pablo's Tex-Mex)". Nation's Restaurant News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013 – via Highbeam Research. Alternate Link(subscription required) via ProQuest.
  9. "Pay-as-you-go Policy Helps Put Restaurant Operator In Top Tier For Growth". Chicago Tribune. February 21, 1994.
  10. "Apple South Agrees To Buy D.F. & R. Restaurants". The New York Times. August 16, 1995.
  11. "Apple South, Inc. Signs Merger Agreement With DF&R Restaurants, Inc". Business Wire (Press release). August 15, 1995.
  12. "Apple South to Sell 264 Restaurants". The New York Times. December 24, 1997.
  13. "Apple South says it will sell Applebee's restaurants". Associated Press. December 23, 1997.
  14. "Apple South is renamed Avado". Rome News-Tribune. October 18, 1998.
  15. "Avado Brands Inc". The Motley Fool. October 30, 1998. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  16. "Avado Brands Receives Court Approval for 'First-Day' Motions". PR Newswire (Press release). February 6, 2004.
  17. "After struggling for years, Avado Brands Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection". The Food Institute Report. February 9, 2004. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015 – via Highbeam Research.
  18. "Avado Brands now out of bankruptcy". Atlanta Business Journal. May 19, 2005.
  19. Bertagnoli, Lisa (December 1, 2006). "Avado Brands on the Fast Track: Rick Barbrick has taken Avado Brands from bankruptcy to growth mode in less than two years". Chain Leader. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11.
  20. "Avado Brands files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy". Nation's Restaurant News. September 6, 2007.
  21. Tong, Vinnee (February 6, 2008). "Service sector shrinks, raising recession fears: Don Pablo's restaurant chain, for another, has been busily shrinking". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. C1.
  22. Larson, Cindy (February 29, 2008). "Last taco served at Don Pablo's". Fort Wayne News Sentinel.
  23. "Avado Brands divests Don Pablo's and Hops". Atlanta Business Journal. February 29, 2008.
  24. Palank, Jacqueline (November 28, 2007). "Avado Brands sells several restaurants: Bankruptcy lender is primary buyer of Don Pablo's, Hops". Columbus Dispatch.
  25. "Don Pablo's owner laments what could have been". Business Observer. May 23, 2012.
  26. Griffin, Justine (June 10, 2013). "Don Pablo's trying to make a comeback". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  27. Silva, Tricia Lynn (January 31, 2014). "Food Management Partners buys Lubbock-based Tex-Mex chain". San Antonio Business Journal.
  28. Tatangelo, Wade (July 16, 2015). "Restaurant News: Don Pablo's closed". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  29. "Don Pablo's Returns to Texas Roots: Texas-born restaurant chain known for its "Big Tex, Bold Mex" flavors and attitude returns to its Texas roots with acquisition by Food Management Partners". PRWeb (Press release). January 31, 2014.
  30. "Troubled Center Lands Two Exciting New Tenants". Tomorrow's News Today Atlanta. February 28, 2014.
  31. Pete, Joseph S. (September 11, 2014). "Gaucho's Brazilian Steakhouse to return". Times of Northwest Indiana.
  32. Keagle, Lauri (September 11, 2014). "Don Pablo's". Times of Northwest Indiana.
  33. Pritchard, Edd (April 26, 2015). "Business Roundup: Don Pablo's is gone, but brewhouse is coming". Canton Repository.
  34. Pyrka, John (March 1, 2015). "Photos of Don Pablo's Restaurants". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2015-06-20.
  35. "Don Pablos in Flint Township permanently closed". WJRT-TV. April 10, 2015.
  36. Callum-Penso, Lillia (February 17, 2016). "Don Pablo's closes its doors". Greenville News.
  37. Erlien, Wendy (February 23, 2016). "Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchen Closes in Maple Grove". Maple Grove Voice.
  38. Ewoldt, John (August 29, 2016). "Don Pablo's closes its Richfield location; only one left in Twin Cities". Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
  39. Wartman, Scott (August 24, 2016). "Don Pablo's in Newport shut down". Cincinnati Enquirer.
  40. Driscoll, Kara (September 26, 2016). "Don Pablo's closes Beavercreek location". Dayton Daily News.
  41. Barker, Jeff (September 25, 2016). "Owings Mills Mall closes the doors on its interior". Baltimore Sun.
  42. Fitzgerald, Patrick (October 4, 2016). "Owner of Don Pablo's Restaurants Files for Bankruptcy". The Wall Street Journal.
  43. "Tex-Mex chain Don Pablo's files bankruptcy, closes 4 area locations". Indianapolis Business Journal. October 5, 2016.
  44. Davis, Dillon (October 3, 2016). "Don Pablo's closes with no warning in Battle Creek". Detroit Free Press.
  45. Montgomery, Alexandra (October 3, 2016). "Toledo-area Don Pablo's apparently shuts down, doesn't tell workers". WTOL-TV.
  46. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18.
  47. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2016-11-27.
  48. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2017-02-07.
  49. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08.
  50. "Eden Prairie, MN Onsite: Don Pablo's Restaurant Liquidation Auction". Auction Nation. Archived from the original on 2017-07-20.
  51. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19.
  52. Hall, Shannon (February 26, 2018). "Don Pablo's, last location in Indiana, closes after decades in Lafayette". Lafayette Journal & Courier .
  53. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2018-05-23.
  54. Mains, Brian (July 27, 2018). "Don Pablo's at Rookwood Commons closes its doors for good". WCPO-TV.
  55. "Need A Sombrero? Less Than 48 Hours After Closing, Don Pablo's To Be Auctioned Off". First State Update. September 25, 2018.
  56. Franklin, Chris (November 9, 2018). "Don Pablo's closes, leaving just one left in all of N.J." NJ.com.
  57. Zumer, Bryna (November 26, 2018). "Don Pablo's closes in White Marsh". WBFF.
  58. "Locations". Don Pablo's. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29.
  59. Philpot, Robert (December 3, 2018). "November restaurant rewind: BBQ faves reopen, a Tex-Mex chain says adios, and more". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  60. Matthews, Mark (June 24, 2019). "Don Pablo's Deptford Closed Abruptly Sunday Night. No Details". 42 Freeway (blog).
  61. Tanenbaum, Michael (June 24, 2019). "Deptford Don Pablo's Mexican restaurant abruptly closes: Chain's last remaining location shutters in wake of bankruptcy". PhillyVoice.
  62. Duhart, Bill (June 24, 2019). "Last Don Pablo's in the country abruptly closes in N.J." NJ.com.
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