So you wanna know how it all started?

Three friends.

(And let’s be honest, probably a few shots of tequila.)

One idea: Share Border-style food with the world.

But why? Because Border-style means mesquite-grilled meat, fresh ingredients, hand-pressed tortillas, and sauces made in small batches. Words hardly do it justice, but when those three friends tried it, they knew they had to share it with as many people as possible.

So in October of 1982, they opened the first On The Border at the corner of Knox and Travis in Dallas, Texas.

On The Border quickly became the hot spot for great margaritas, fresh Border-style food and seriously good times in Dallas.

With business booming, the three friends decided it was time to share On The Border with more people. A lot more people, in more places.

And today, you can get your hands on fresh-pressed tortillas, chips as big as your head, margaritas worth their salt, tableside guacamole and fresh Border-style food, all thanks to three pals—and a little tequila.

Maggiano’s Little Italy opened the doors of its first location on the corners of Clark Street and Grand Avenue in Chicago, Illinois November 11, 1991. What happened next, as they say, is history.

The restaurant was successful from the very beginning, with eager diners sometimes waiting hours for an opportunity to dine family-style. The portions of Italian–American cuisine were large, reminiscent of a Sunday night visit to their grandmother’s house, or as they say in Italy, nonna’s casa! The recipes were simple, authentic classics, many of them coaxed out of Italian grandmothers, mothers, and aunts whose ideas of a recipe were a pinch of this and a sprinkle of that. With some trial and error, the chefs celebrated the birth of many of Maggiano’s signature dishes.