‘For sale’ sign that’s been posted at this Wichita restaurant for 2 years is coming down

It’s been a bumpy few years for Chico’s Restaurant — the 48-year-old Mexican restaurant classic that operates at 4407 W. Maple.

But finally, the owners have good news to share, said Lupita Cordova Fernandez, who has been running the family restaurant since 1999.

This weekend, the “for sale” sign that was put up in front of the restaurant two years ago is coming down. Fernandez, who says she has weathered what COVID-19 threw at her, has decided not to sell the restaurant after all.

“We’re going to go ahead and tough it out,” she said.

It was August 2020 when Fernandez first announced her plans to sell the restaurant, which her father and mother — Arnoldo and Clara Fernandez — co-founded with Clara’s parents in 1974 in a tiny building at Douglas and West Street. COVID-19 had taken a toll on the business, and though they continued throughout the shutdowns with carryout business, they just couldn’t catch back up.

Things got even tougher a few months later when Fernandez’s grandfather and Chico’s co-founder Francisco Rizo died of COVID-19 at age 94. Fernandez felt overwhelmed, though she vowed to keep the restaurant open while she looked for a buyer.

She’s had about five interested parties in the two years since, she said, but none could secure financing. Her bank has been working with her, though, and she finally has payments on the restaurant down to a number she can manage.

She’s also realized she can keep the restaurant running even when her father, Arnoldo — the restaurant’s longtime cook — takes time off. He’s 76 now, she said, and he’s taking more time away as he works toward retirement.

“When my dad went to Mexico, I didn’t think I could do it,” she said. “But I did it for four months.”

Chico’s, which has been in its current building since 2007, is keeping its limited hours going forward. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; from 5 to 8 .m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays.

This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 11:46 AM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.