AUSTIN, Texas – Tex-Mex cuisine is a staple in Texas, more specifically in its capital city. However, Chuy’s, a well-known and Austin-based Tex-Mex chain, is set to relocate its headquarters to Orlando, Florida.

According to a report from the Austin Business Journal, its $605 million acquisition by Darden Restaurants Inc. has become final. The sale became final on Friday after Chuy’s stockholders approved the acquisition on Thursday. 

Darden Restaurants Inc., an Orlando-based restaurant operator, owns many familiar restaurants including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris, Eddie V’s and more. 

Chuy’s first location opened on April 16, 1982, on Barton Springs Road. What used to be an abandoned Texas barbecue joint quickly became a hotspot for local Tex-Mex tacos and fajitas.

As of July, Chuy’s had 101 eateries across 15 states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia and Alabama. In the latest 12-month period ending at the end of March 2024, Chuy’s generated total revenues over $450 million and average annual restaurant volumes of $4.5 million. Austin alone is home to five Chuy’s locations.