Margaritas (Restaurant)
Encyclopedia
Margaritas is a restaurant chain in New England
serving Mexican food. The restaurant began when several Chuck's Steakhouses locations were converted into Mexican restaurants named Tío Juan's, owned and run by Kukai, Inc. Former employees of Kukai purchased the restaurants in 1985, and in 1996 renamed the chain. The proper name of each restaurant is actually Tío Juan's Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and Watering Hole. However due to the length of the name the restaurant is usually simply referred to as Margaritas.
Apart from the rebranding, the menu and decor of the restaurant did not change in a noticeable way. The owner of a steak house named Barstan's in Orono, Maine
partnered with Margaritas' owners, and so that steakhouse was also converted into a Mexican restaurant.
By 1993, there were eight restaurants operating in the Margaritas chain, all located within New England. As of 2010 their website listed 21 restaurants in four states.
The chain is currently managed by Margaritas Management Group Inc., headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
.
is situated within the city's old jail
. The restaurant uses this to good effect, placing some tables within cells to create atmospheric and semi-private dining areas. Because the Concord location was the first to be established, and had good name recognition, it was the last to be rebranded Margaritas (in 1999, whereas the other restaurants were rebranded in 1996). The Concord location is supposedly haunted by a ghost
named "George."
There are two locations in Portland, Maine, one on St. John's Street and one on Brown Street in Portland's historic Old Port District.
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
serving Mexican food. The restaurant began when several Chuck's Steakhouses locations were converted into Mexican restaurants named Tío Juan's, owned and run by Kukai, Inc. Former employees of Kukai purchased the restaurants in 1985, and in 1996 renamed the chain. The proper name of each restaurant is actually Tío Juan's Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and Watering Hole. However due to the length of the name the restaurant is usually simply referred to as Margaritas.
Apart from the rebranding, the menu and decor of the restaurant did not change in a noticeable way. The owner of a steak house named Barstan's in Orono, Maine
Orono, Maine
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It was first settled in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono of the Penobscot Nation. It is home to The University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.- Geography :...
partnered with Margaritas' owners, and so that steakhouse was also converted into a Mexican restaurant.
By 1993, there were eight restaurants operating in the Margaritas chain, all located within New England. As of 2010 their website listed 21 restaurants in four states.
The chain is currently managed by Margaritas Management Group Inc., headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
.
Locations
The first Tio Juan's restaurant, located in Concord, New HampshireConcord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
is situated within the city's old jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
. The restaurant uses this to good effect, placing some tables within cells to create atmospheric and semi-private dining areas. Because the Concord location was the first to be established, and had good name recognition, it was the last to be rebranded Margaritas (in 1999, whereas the other restaurants were rebranded in 1996). The Concord location is supposedly haunted by a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
named "George."
There are two locations in Portland, Maine, one on St. John's Street and one on Brown Street in Portland's historic Old Port District.