{{Short description|American restaurant chain}} {{Infobox company | name = Pancho's Mexican Buffet | logo = Pancho's New Logo 2.png | logo_size = 200px | type = Buffet | foundation = {{start date and age|1958}} | location = Dallas, Texas<ref name="Bloomberg 2016"/> | industry = Restaurant | products = Tex-Mex and Mexican-American dishes | services = In-store dining, takeout and catering | website = {{url|https://www.panchosmexicanbuffetdfw.com| *Pancho's Mexican Buffet DFW & Arlington}} {{url|https://www.panchosmexicanbuffethouston.com| *Pancho's Mexican Buffet Houston}} }} '''Pancho's Mexican Buffet''' is a chain of Tex-Mex restaurants<ref name="Bloomberg 2016"/> in the United States.<ref name="Media 2010 p. 4409">{{cite book | last=Media | first=A. | title=National JobBank 2010 | publisher=Adams Media | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-4405-1317-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N8frDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT4409 | access-date=December 9, 2017 | page=pt4409}}</ref> In 2017, the owners began closing stores due to poor performance, and developed a small store concept named "Cuban Cafe". There are currently three locations: Houston,<ref name="Bloomberg 2016"/><ref name="HISTORY">{{cite web|url=http://www.panchosmexicanbuffet.com/history.html|title=panchosmexicanbuffet.com}}</ref> Dallas Fort Worth(DFW), and Arlington.<ref>[https://1079ishot.com/panchos-mexican-buffet-houston-location/ "If you really miss Pancho's Mexican Buffet, the full experience is closer than you think" ''Hot 107.9 FM (website)'' (Aug. 24, 2021)] Accessed Oct. 16, 2021.</ref>
Pancho's main product is an all-you-can-eat buffet,<ref>{{cite book | last1=Cordero-Cordell | first1=T. | last2=Cordell | first2=R. | title=Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook | publisher=Hippocrene Books, Incorporated | series=Hippocrene Cookbook Library | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-7818-1206-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGuIoVRzVLUC&pg=PP11 | access-date=July 4, 2016 | page=11}}</ref> though unlike many other such buffets additional food is brought by waitstaff rather than self-served, except for in the chain's "Super Buffet" locations. Pancho's fare include tacos, flautas, enchiladas, tamales, rice, refried beans, guacamole and many other traditional Tex-Mex items.<ref name="Grant 2002">{{cite book | last=Grant | first=T. | title=International Directory of Company Histories | publisher=St. James Press | series=Gale virtual reference library | issue=v. 46 | year=2002 | isbn=978-1-55862-464-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5tu6AAAAIAAJ | access-date=December 9, 2017 | page=330}}</ref><ref name="COMPANY">{{cite web|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Panchos-Mexican-Buffet-Inc-Company-History.html|title=History of Pancho's Mexican Buffet, Inc. – FundingUniverse}}</ref> Pancho's also provides takeout and catering services.<ref name="Bloomberg 2016"/>
The company was formerly listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the 1980s under the symbol "PAMX".<ref name="Market Guide 1988">{{cite book | title=The Market Guide | publisher=Market guide, inc. | issue=v. 3 | year=1988 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lBEWAQAAMAAJ | access-date=December 9, 2017 }}</ref> In 2010, the company had 40 locations,<ref name="Media 2010 p. 4409"/> In February 2012, Pancho's corporate had shut down operations. All corporate owned restaurants were closed, phone lines were disconnected, and the website was removed. The reasons behind it are unknown.<ref name="Closure">{{cite web|url=http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2012/02/07/panchos-lowers-the-flag|title=Pancho's lowers the flag|first=Ian|last=McNulty|work=Gambit }}</ref><ref name="Closure2">{{cite web|url=http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/article_7c22e19c-5cf3-11e1-8dfe-001871e3ce6c.html|title=Letter: Pancho's too low brow for media, but not Mesa residents|date=22 February 2012 }}</ref> Non corporate owned locations remain open. By September 2014, 14 franchise locations operate in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.panchosmexicanbuffetdfw.com/history.html |title=History |publisher=Pancho's Mexican Buffet Dallas/Fort Worth|access-date=2014-04-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427000205/http://www.panchosmexicanbuffetdfw.com/history.html |archive-date=2014-04-27 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panchosmexicanbuffethouston.com/|title=Panchos Mexican Buffet Houston}}</ref> As of 2025, there were a total of five Pancho's-branded locations still open. With locations in Houston, Arlington, Humble, Fort Worth,<ref>[https://1079ishot.com/panchos-mexican-buffet-houston-location/ "If you really miss Pancho's Mexican Buffet, the full experience is closer than you think" ''Hot 107.9 FM (website)'' (Aug. 24, 2021)] Accessed Oct. 16, 2021.</ref> and Mesquite.{{citation needed|date=April 2026}}
==History== [[Image:Panchos Mexican Buffet closeup, Albuquerque NM.jpg|thumb|{{center|Pancho's Mexican Buffet in Albuquerque, New Mexico}}]] The first Pancho's restaurant opened in El Paso, Texas in 1958.<ref name="Bloomberg 2016">{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/Research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=294920 | title=Company Overview of Pancho's Mexican Buffet, Inc. | publisher=Bloomberg | access-date=3 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512094236/https://www.bloomberg.com/Research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=294920|archive-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="HISTORY"/><ref name="SEC Filing"/> The restaurant was founded by Jesse Arrambide, Jr.<ref name="SEC Filing"/> (who also owns Los Bandidos De Carlos & Mickey's restaurant)., who learned how to make Mexican dishes from his mother.<ref name="COMPANY"/> His experience in cooking in large quantities while serving on an American naval troopship during World War II would contribute towards his concept of how to operate a buffet-style restaurant.<ref name="COMPANY"/> After several years of operating his restaurant as a success, Arrambide turned his energy towards creating a Pancho's restaurant chain. The company eventually relocated its corporate office from El Paso to Fort Worth, Texas in 1966.<ref name="HISTORY"/> In 2007, Pancho's moved east again, this time to Dallas, Texas. Since 1979, the corporation has changed hands between several owners and partners.<ref name="COMPANY"/>
The restaurant chain is owned and managed by Pancho's Mexican Buffet, Inc., which was previously named Pamex Foods, Inc.<ref name="SEC Filing">{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/75929/0000930661-00-003282.txt | title=(SEC filing) | publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | date=December 29, 2000 | access-date=3 July 2016}}</ref> Pamex Foods, Inc. changed its corporate name to Pancho's Mexican Buffet, Inc. in 1982.<ref name="SEC Filing"/> In 1988, there were 55 Pancho's Mexican Buffet restaurants.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kWcdAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Pancho%27s+Mexican+Buffet%22 | title=Moody's Handbook of OTC Stocks | publisher=Moody's Investors Service | date=1988 | access-date=3 July 2016|quote=The Company recently opened its 55th Pancho's Mexican Buffet.}}</ref> At the end of 2000, there were 48 restaurants, and the company employed 2001 people.<ref name="SEC Filing"/> In September 2004, there were 40 restaurants, located in the U.S. states of Arizona, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.<ref name="Media Wallace 2004 p. 866">{{cite book | title=The National JobBank 2005 | publisher=Adams Media Corporation | year=2004 | isbn=978-1-59337-104-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ztQOAzZgyrwC&pg=PA866 | access-date=July 4, 2016 | page=866}}</ref>
==Overview== {{cleanup-PR|1=section|date=December 2017}} Pancho's is most popular for having its buffet customers "raise the flag" to request more food; each table has a small tricolored flag with the three colors of the flag of Mexico.<ref name="NOLA">[http://www.nola.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2009/04/new_orleans_fans_secondline_to.html New Orleans fans second-line to resurrected Pancho's Mexican Buffet]</ref> The flag, however, is sometimes missing the Mexican coat of arms and thus more closely resembles the flag of Italy but sporting the image of Pancho the mascot of Pancho's Mexican Buffet. The food is reasonably priced,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8AQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 | title=Can Olga follow in Wendy's footsteps? | publisher=Kiplinger's Personal Finance | date=June 1986 | access-date=3 July 2016 | page=9}}</ref> and the dining area is often decorated with a courtyard motif with two sayings in Spanish on the walls "Mi Casa es su casa (My House is Your House) and "Panza llena Corazon Contento" (Full Belly, Happy Heart).<ref name="NOLA"/> Several locations also sold a limited line of products that customers could purchase and make their own sopapillas, tacos, etc. at home, as well as a small selection of piñatas that could be used for parties or other decorating reasons, as well as Sombreros de Charro and Handcrafted Mexican artisan goods such as small pottery, toys and figurines.
==2 Amigos Buffet== thumb|{{center|A meal from 2 Amigos, almost identical to what you would get at Pancho's.}} Damage caused by Hurricane Katrina forced the Metairie, Louisiana, location in New Orleans to close.<ref name="NOLA"/> On March 30, 2009, Panchos Mexican Buffet returned to Metairie, with over 600 invitation-only patrons in attendance at a private opening the previous Friday.<ref name="EVENTS">{{cite web|url=http://www.panchosmexicanbuffet.com/events.html|title=panchosmexicanbuffet.com}}</ref> As of January 2012, the Metairie and Baton Rouge Super Buffet locations have been permanently closed.
With the closing of all Louisiana locations and knowing there was a following of this brand, New Orleans area residents Gene Usner and Roger Bolanos opened 2 Amigos Mexican Buffet located in Kenner, LA in 2013. Both were long time employees of Pancho's. The food was almost identical to what Pancho's had in their glory days of the '80s and '90s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Braden |first=Megan |url=https://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2013/08/27/2-amigos-mexican-buffet-in-kenner-opening-soon |title=2 Amigos Mexican Buffet in Kenner opening soon {{pipe}} The Latest |work=Gambit |publisher=Bestofneworleans.com |date=2013-08-27 |access-date=2017-12-09}}</ref> The restaurant closed in September 2021 due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, compounded by the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/2AmigosMexicanBuffet/ "Post by 2 Amigos Buffet dated Sept. 13, 2021"]</ref>
== See also ==
* List of restaurants in Dallas
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{official|http://www.panchosmexicanbuffetdfw.com}}
Category:Mexican restaurants in the United States Category:Buffet restaurants Category:Restaurant franchises Category:Restaurants in Dallas Category:Companies based in Dallas Category:Restaurant chains in the United States Category:Restaurants established in 1958 Category:1958 establishments in Texas