Chi-Chi’s announces first two Minnesota locations as part of its comeback

Break out the fried ice cream — the return of Chi-Chi’s Mexican restaurant is getting closer, and the first two locations will be in St. Louis Park and Maple Grove.

Michael McDermott, son of Chi-Chi’s founder Marno McDermott and the architect of the comeback, told the Star Tribune he will convert his two Rojo Mexican Grills into Chi-Chi’s restaurants. The St. Louis Park location is first, with an anticipated opening this summer, and Maple Grove will follow this fall.

Since announcing his plans in December, McDermott said, the response has been “overwhelming.”

“What’s been really fun is reading the comments [on articles],” he said. Former customers, workers and executives have been quick to chime in to offer stories, memories and even help getting Chi-Chi’s 2.0 off the ground, he said.

McDermott has tapped local design firm Shea to give the restaurants a refresh and “bring the concept forward,” yet incorporate elements from the ‘70s and early ‘80s, such as hanging plants, as a throwback to the original Chi-Chi’s era.

The menu will bring back Chi-Chi’s favorites — McDermott still has all the original handwritten recipes from his father — but will also include popular menu items from Rojo (tomatillo salad and enchiladas) as well as dishes that reflect the evolution of Mexican cuisine and diners’ taste buds, such as birria.

“The people that remember Chi-Chi’s will hopefully have something on the menu that they remember and gravitate toward,” McDermott said. “But I think we’ll also have something appealing to the current environment in Mexican food.”

McDermott is hoping the nostalgia-fueled comeback will equate to funding, too. He’s working with the crowdfunding platform StartEngine in an effort to raise $3.5 million to help convert the two locations and set up a franchise program, he said. The minimum investment is $250 in exchange for equity in the brand. (But, he’s quick to point out, there are no guarantees.)

“This really came about based on the response we got from that [first] press release,” McDermott said. “I was just overwhelmed by the number of people that really miss Chi-Chi’s and were excited for it to come back. And what this allows is not just big investors, but any investor to be a part of the Chi-Chi’s comeback.”

KPot Korean BBQ and Hotpot, the chain with locations mostly on the East Coast, aims to open its first Minnesota location at 13601 Grove Drive in Maple Grove. Described as “unique, hands-on all-you-can-eat dining experience that merges traditional Asian Hot Pot with Korean BBQ flavors,” KPot is in expansion mode with 90 current locations and more expected this year.

The menu is based around the interactive dining options of cooking meats, seafood and/or vegetables on an in-table grill or layering ingredients into a roiling cauldron of broth, again at the table.

The Mpls./St. Paul Business Journal reports that the Maple Grove location is slated to open in early March.

Stanley’s NE Bar Room wants the public to weigh in on a proposed 2027 University Av. NE. road construction project that would include razing the historic building and bar. It’s one of four options the city is proposing to address safety concerns around the intersection of Lowry and University avenues.

Stanley’s put out the call for fans of the restaurant and bar to ask that they be spared via a link to MnDOT’s feedback form for upcoming construction plans.

“Stanley’s is much more than just a restaurant. It is a community gathering place, a local staple, and a part of Northeast’s identity‚" read the Instagram post.

Stanley’s opened in 2010 when Steve Benowitz (Craft & Crew Hospitality) took over the former Stasiu’s Place. While the room and food menu were given a modern makeover along with expanded craft brew taps and the upstairs was converted into a speakeasy, the historic bones remained intact, including what is perhaps the building’s most famous feature: the massive art deco, century-old urinals. The bathroom fixtures are so widely known that there’s even an Atlas Obscura entry dedicated to their lore.

It’s the kind of oddball history that makes northeast Minneapolis bars some of the best in the Midwest. Hopefully, the legacy will live on.

P.S. Steak is dipping back into nostalgia by resurrecting La Belle Vie menu items from March 3-31.

The two restaurants share an address and share Mike DeCamp, who is co-owner of P.S. Steak and was the longtime chef de cuisine at La Belle Vie. Greatest hits from the former La Belle Vie lounge menu such as foie gras with toast and bitter orange marmalade, pappardelle with rabbit Bolognese and the iconic lamb burgers, will be available once again.

La Belle Vie was the celebrated restaurant from chef/owner Tim McKee, DeCamp’s mentor. Opened in Stillwater in 1998, it moved to the historic Minneapolis location in 2005. During its tenure, McKee was awarded a James Beard Foundation Award (2009 Best Chef Midwest) and the restaurant would become known as the pinnacle of fine dining, where visiting dignitaries and celebrities held court. After its closure, DeCamp and his Jester Concepts group opened P.S. Steak in 2018.

This is the second time P.S. Steak has revived the La Belle Vie menu, which will be available in the lounge. Reservations can be made at psmpls.com/reservations.

The sandwich making pop-up Proof returns to Surly Brewing Feb. 28 for lunch starting at 11 a.m. until they sell out. On the menu are a French dip, pork and rapini, an Italian hero called “the greasy sleeve” and more, all served on fresh baked bread. Prices weren’t immediately available. But it’s worth noting that the temps are expected to be above 40 and that outdoor area is beckoning optimistic picnickers.

Congrats to Spoon and Stable‘s Jarod Schiebout, who has been recognized by the U.S. Bartender Guild as one of the Top 30 World Class U.S. Bartenders. Schiebout will compete in the nationals this May in Atlanta.

Previously, the bar’s beverage director Jessi Pollak won the Diageo World Class National Finals and was named 2022 U.S. Best Bartender. Schiebout joined the Spoon and Stable team in 2023 and recently became a full time bartender at the North Loop restaurant, working under Pollak.