OUR STORY
Way back in 1982, Austin, Texas became the home of the place that does real Tex-Mex better than anyone. Yes, we are talking about us! Let’s take a trip down memory lane to see where we started and how we have stayed true to our original vision.
1982
THE ORIGINAL CHUY’S STARTED IN AUSTIN, TX
Chuy’s opened on April 16, 1982 in an old, abandoned Texas Barbeque joint on iconic Barton Springs Road in Austin, TX. There was seating for about sixty, a women’s restroom the size of a broom closet and a men’s restroom that was, well, outside. Founders Mike Young and John Zapp had a vision of a fun and funky Tex-Mex restaurant that served authentic and fresh food in an atmosphere that appealed to everyone. From these humble beginnings Chuy’s was born.
“IF YOU’VE SEEN ONE CHUY’S, YOU’VE SEEN ONE CHUY’S”
Our founders, Mike and John, along with their “decorator” Jose Cuervo, made some interesting decisions on restaurant décor. Mostly due to lack of money and the creativity of their “decorator.” Those Chuy’s touches you love, like the hand-carved wooden fish “swimming” from the ceiling, hubcaps hanging bright and shiny above your booth and the Elvis shrine, are still alive and well in our restaurants today. Although we have kept many of these original eclectic touches in our restaurants, we want each Chuy’s to be unique to the community they serve. Our dedicated team searches far and wide for those special pieces that will make your Chuy’s unlike any other.
WE DON’T TAKE ANYTHING SERIOUSLY, EXCEPT OUR FOOD
While we are Tex-Mex, our menu is made up of a combination of flavors, with recipes and ingredients from across New Mexico, Mexican border towns, the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas and, of course, Austin. Wanna know a secret? Our fajita marinade is an old South Texas family recipe that has been used at some “infamous” South Padre Island beach parties. Our founders had a vision to bring FRESH to Tex-Mex, and that commitment to our food is still the core of everything we do today.
BRINGING TEX-MEX TO THE PEOPLE
In the late 2000’s, with only fifteen restaurants around Texas, we decided it was time to let the universe in on our little Tex-Mex secret. It just didn’t feel right to keep our made from scratch dishes and out of this world service and atmosphere to ourselves anymore. With that desire to “spread the love,” we opened the first Chuy’s outside of Texas in the Nashville, TN suburb of Franklin in November of 2009. From there we have been spreading our vision of fresh, authentic Tex-Mex across the country and bringing what started “Deep in the Heart of Tex-Mex” to food and fun lovers everywhere.
CHUY’S IN THE COMMUNITY
At Chuy’s, it’s not just our responsibility to give back, it’s our privilege. Whether it’s sponsoring a local charity, supporting a fundraiser event, or just joining our employees and customers in causes important to them, we build community ties through local service and connections.
