Casa de Fritos was a restaurant located in Disneyland's Frontierland in Anaheim, California which served Mexican-inspired meals and snacks as part of a partnership between Disney and Frito-Lay. The snack food was featured in almost every meal, and if guests just wanted a bag of Frito chips, they could stop by the Frito Kid statue/vending machine. It would also be known as the birthplace of the Dorito, created as a way to recycle old tortillas by frying them into chips.[1]
History[]
Casa de Fritos opened two months after Disneyland's opening day in 1955. After two years of operation, it outgrew its small space and moved to its permanent location in central Frontierland. Over time, the restaurant became increasingly run-down and outdated, and Frontierland was in need of a new and improved Mexican spot. So in 1982, Disney ended its partnership with Frito-Lay, and Casa de Fritos closed for an extensive overhaul. Later that year, the Casa reopened as Casa Mexicana, a spacious indoor/outdoor Mexican restaurant.
Casa Mexicana quickly became a success and was one of the more popular quick-service spots in western Disneyland for almost two decades. In 2000, Disney announced plans to revamp and upgrade Casa Mexicana. The restaurant closed in early 2001. Its replacement, Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante, opened before Casa Mexicana officially closed, so both restaurants ran side-by-side for about a month. The Casa finally closed in March 2001, and its space was absorbed by Rancho del Zocalo. The new quick-service spot had the same concept as Casa Mexicana, with newly decorated mosaic features, an upgraded menu, and a new sponsorship from Ortega.
