El Torito
Coordinates: 37°25′59.2″N 121°53′50.9″W / 37.433111°N 121.897472°W El Torito (Spanish for "the little bull") is a Mexican restaurant chain, consisting of 69 restaurants which are located primarily in California. Some of the restaurants are located in Oregon, Arizona, and overseas. El Torito is one of several Mexican cuisine restaurant chains operated by Real Mex Restaurants.
Founded in 1954, El Torito claims to be "a pioneer in the California full service Mexican casual dining restaurant segment."
El Torito was founded by Larry J. Cano, who gives the restaurant credit for popularizing the margarita in the United States. Cano served several tours in Europe and in Korea, got a business degree and worked as a bartender. When the bar's owner died, the widow asked Cano if he wanted it.
The bar itself Cano felt was popular with veterans but had a limited lifespan. He brought his own Mexican cooking to the bar and it became the first El Torito, named - theoretically - based on the large clay bowl with a bull painted on it. Cano hired local Mexican cooks and asked them to cook genuine Mexican food. For a period of time, the financially strapped Cano was evicted from his home and lived in the restaurant.
However, within three years the restaurant became very successful, and Cano was opening additional locations. By 1976 he had opened 20 locations before selling the business to W. R. Grace and Company for about $20 million. They hired Cano as the President with a directive for rapid expansion.
...
Wikipedia