At the end of August, Rojo Mexican Grill will shutter in St. Louis Park’s West End, and work will get underway on Chi-Chi's first restaurant in over 20 years.
Rojo owner Michael McDermott secured the rights to reopen Chi-Chi's restaurants in late 2024. He's the son of Chi-Chi's co-founder Marno McDermott, who launched the brand in 1975 alongside former Green Bay Packers player Max McGee and helped it go public in 1979.
Chi-Chi's started in Minnesota and eventually expanded to more than 200 locations nationwide. However, it declared bankruptcy following a hepatitis A outbreak traced to green onions at a Pennsylvania location. All of its restaurants were closed by 2004.
Now, Chi-Chi's is poised to make its comeback before the end of 2025, with construction on Rojo's space slated to start