The late Don Chiavario opened Don Juans in 1966. Don was living in California at the time that other Mexican fast foods were just starting in that area. He saw how popular that type of restaurant was becoming and soon decided to open his own restaurant. After scouting out several locations he decided on the Dallas area. He chose Grand Prairie for many reasons. One of which was the proximity to the aircraft plant with thousands of hungry lunch customers and another was the availability of a suitable building that he could remodel to suit his needs.

The building he found was a former “Griddle System”. “The Griddle” was a popular diner in the fifties and early sixties. Don designed and even did most of the remodeling work to convert the building to Don Juans. He opened the business in September of 1966. Fast food was not very common in Grand Prairie at that time and Mexican fast food was non existent! Don Juans was probably one of the first restaurants in Grand Prairie to have a drive-thru. Now there are drive thru restaurants everywhere!

The business has continued to prosper and grow. Very little has actually changed from the day Don Chiavario first opened the business. The beans and meat are still cooked fresh everyday. Chili, burrito sauce, hot sauce, guacamole and almost everything else is still made from scratch each day using the same recipes.