Client News
Snell & Wilmer Secures Long-Term Licensing Agreement to Help Relaunch Chi-Chi’s Restaurant Chain
PHOENIX – Snell & Wilmer Partner Howard Sobelman secured a long-term licensing agreement between restaurant chain Chi-Chi’s and Hormel Foods for the use of Chi-Chi’s trademark and logo for use in its initial restaurant and future franchises.
Chi-Chi’s, a beloved Mexican restaurant chain, closed in 2004 after a hepatitis A outbreak and bankruptcy. Hormel Foods, which owns the Chi-Chi’s trademark, has reached an agreement with Michael McDermott, son of co-founder Marno McDermott, to relaunch the chain with the help of Snell & Wilmer’s IP Team. News regarding the restaurant’s relaunch was highlighted in recent media coverage.
The first two locations will open in Minnesota, with plans to expand across the Midwest and East Coast. McDermott, an experienced restaurateur and founder of Kona Grill and Rojo Mexican Grill, is leading the revival. Despite its closure, Chi-Chi’s branded salsa and grocery products have remained available, produced by Hormel Foods.
About Snell & Wilmer
Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is a full-service business law firm with more than 500 attorneys practicing in 16 locations throughout the United States and in Mexico, including Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, California; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Boise, Idaho; Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington; and Los Cabos, Mexico. The firm represents clients ranging from large, publicly traded corporations to small businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs. For more information, visit swlaw.com.
