The Fritos Restaurant You Never Knew Existed

As a company, Fritos has a long, rich history of which it can be proud. Per the brand's website, its story began in 1932, when a man named Charles Elmer Doolin chanced upon a brand of corn chips that he really liked. The entrepreneur bought the rights to the recipe and came up with crunchy Fritos corn chips, perfecting them in his home with his mother's help (via Mental Floss). 

At the same time, another entrepreneur named Herman W. Lay founded his company in Nashville. Somehow, the two men crossed paths in the early 1960s and collaborated with each other to start Frito-Lay, a business that would prove to be incredibly profitable for them both. Some time later, the company struck a deal with corporate giant Pepsi-Cola and became a sensation in the industry.

Fritos is now much loved as a brand around the globe and has a variety of flavors available. International flavors include exciting options, such as chorizo-and-chipotle style chips in Mexico. But even the most loyal fans may not know that Fritos once opened a special restaurant for snack enthusiasts at a coveted location.

Per Mental Floss, the Fritos restaurant was launched in Disneyland sometime after the theme park was opened to the public in the 1950s. The eatery was a haven for Mexican food and included dishes like enchiladas and tamales. It was popular in the 1960s and the 1970s and even inspired the popular snack, Doritos. 

According to OC Weekly, the restaurant was known as Casa de Fritos and offered every customer complimentary Fritos chips with their order. Also, many food items at the eatery had some version of Fritos. Fun fact: Doritos were created accidentally when a staff member from a company associated with the eatery suggested that the chef at Casa de Fritos should fry stale tortillas and convert them into chips instead of getting rid of them. This eventually led to the inception of Doritos chips. Amazing!

Sadly, the Fritos restaurant does not exist anymore and was converted into other eateries over the years. But it had an eventful run for sure.