Pancho’s sells dip distribution

Mayor hopes for new restaurant at shuttered site

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

Pancho’s closed the doors to its 65-year-old West Memphis Restaurant last month and now has moved the rights to its world-famous cold queso dip to a Minnesota company. Pancho’s Mexican Foods Inc. sold the cheese dip brand to Mexican food distributor Sabrosura Foods. West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon looked at the legacy of Pancho’s and its impact on the community.

“Pancho’s became a household name and it all started here in West Memphis, and hopefully will never be forgotten,” said McClendon. “It’s an iconic business and its gone but it’s gone to another brand and will be here for us to enjoy.”

Sobrosura declared its commitment to expand the Pancho’s dip brand. “We are proud to be able to continue the Pancho’s legacy and are eager to introduce Pancho’s queso dip to even more consumers across the fast-growing snacking category.”

In recent years, the now defunct restaurant went all in with the development of the Big River Trail with its starting point across Broadway from its East Broadway location. It hosted Big River Crossing ribbon cutting that included Big River Trail developers and railroad executives. It catered lunches for bicycling events in the Big River Park and the Gravel Grinder on the levee. They served up tacos for anyone in town when the pandemic struck.

“They served our first responders and sowed back to the city,” said McClendon.

See PANCHO’S, page A2

The Pancho’s dip brand is in new hands, transferred to Sobrosura. The new banner company eyed expanded production and distribution of the unique cold queso snack cheese. West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon hopes for a new occupant at the shuttered Pancho’s restaurant.

Photo Bing Images PANCHO’S

From page A1

“Then they started giving away lunches once a week to anyone in the city.”

McClendon expressed hope for a new restaurant to move into the vacant building.

“There is a prospective business that may do something early next year,” said McClendon. “If it moves forward, I hope they’ll be good stewards in the city like Pancho’s was.”