National Tex-Mex chain closes last remaining restaurant near Charlotte

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is calling it quits after more than 40 years in business.

This week, the Dallas-based Tex-Mex chain confirmed it would close all company-owned restaurants, including its only remaining location near Charlotte.

The restaurant on Concord Mills Boulevard in Concord will serve its last meals Friday, June 12, an employee told CharlotteFive over the phone.

It comes more than a year after On The Border shuttered its Gastonia restaurant amid bankruptcy proceedings that kicked off last March, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Before that, the chain had already pulled the plug on 40 “non-performing” stores and said it planned to close more.

“This decision follows a thorough evaluation of the business and was not made lightly,” an On The Border spokesperson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of the latest wave of closures.

“We are currently evaluating the future of the On The Border brand and exploring a range of strategic options.”

Franchise locations in California, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota and South Korea operate independently and will stay open, the newspaper reported.

On The Border had two Charlotte locations, including the one Northlake Commons Boulevard. It was listed as “permanently closed” although it’s unclear if it was recent or part of previous bankruptcy-related closures.

Repeated calls to that restaurant went unanswered on Friday, June 12.

The other on Providence Road in South Charlotte closed a few years ago, the Observer previously reported.

On The Border, which currently operates more than 30 restaurants in 11 states, became synonymous with sizzling fajitas and classic Tex-Mex cuisine. The brand was also known for its fresh guacamole, bottomless chips, hand-crafted margaritas and tortillas, hand-pressed daily.

Location: 8001 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, NC 28027

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Instagram: @ontheborder