Chili’s Memories

Yesterday’s posting of the Greenville Chili’s (the one at Meadow Lane, which was the site of the original Chili’s) brought about many remembrances. I shoulda turned comments on then, but I’ll do so now. First, a fond, wistful, admiring memory, after the jump.

A memory-having FrontBurnervian writes:

The original Chili’s restaurant (the actual building), was torn down mainly to enhance revenue. The widening of Meadow offered the perfect opportunity for expansion. Back in its heyday, the original restaurant was always packed and it was not uncommon for patrons to wait up to an hour to be seated.

What was amazing about the process was that while the new restaurant was built in the parking lot, the original location never shut down. When the new restaurant was complete, the crew moved everything from one restaurant to the other in the dark of night. I ate dinner in the old Chili’s one evening and ate lunch in the new building the next day. Demolition of the original building began immediately. If my memory is correct the move occurred on a Friday night, which is remarkable.
Of course, that was back in the days when Chili’s was a decent restaurant. Now it is a former shell of what it used to be. Not a single item from the original one-page menu exists any more…not even a decent bowl of red. Sad.

There’s also this interesting tidbit and anecdote:

During this morning’s “Musers” show, Gordon was lamenting the closing of Chili’s No. 1, located at Meadow and Greenville. The conversation drifted to the original building, and why it was rebuilt. I have a bit of information on this, in that I used to work for Brinker, and had a good friend who worked for Larry Levine at that location - before Norman bought the Chili’s chain. My buddy, Mike Nahkunst, was the bar tender, and unbeknownst to me, was an officer in Levine’s company. Gordon asked me to forward what I know to you. It’s all hear-say, but I have no reason not to believe what I have been told. I am an architect, and was fascinated with the picturesque, quaint, romantic nature of the original building. (7 foot ceilings, and the organized chaos of the plan) While standing in line at the bar…an hour long wait for a table was not unusual at that time, Mike informed me that the building was once a stage-coach stop along the Texas to Oklahoma route, through Dallas. The original dining area was broken up into small disorganized rooms on different levels, that were once boarding rooms for travelers, and stalls for the horses. The bar area was the front porch, with incredible old windows looking into the interior of the unit. I have no historical evidence that can confirm any of this, but I seem to remember seeing a photograph on the wall of the building in it’s original state…horses and all. The original building were added on to a couple of times, before it was torn down for the widening of Greenville Avenue. The atmosphere of No. 1 is still a strong influence on the character of their new units, (low ceilings in the bar) and the additions to that structure, established the “Chili’s look” that is inherent in all of their new units…the closed in exterior porch effect. Although you don’t get chips and salsa for .75 cents, a frozen Rita for 1.25…nor are the fries sliced whole potatoes, or the burgers 1 pound of ground chuck, served in a wicker basket…or the entire menu on one side of a 5×7 card…It is still kinda sad to hear that the original’s first child is going away.