Arizona’s Favorite Mexican Restaurant Celebrates 60^th Anniversary
with “Macayo’s Memory Contest” and 60-Cent Menu

PHOENIX (August 8, 2006) – Sixty years of service brings many memories of food, family and fun. Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen commemorates 60 years of unwavering quality, friendly service, festive atmosphere and outstanding Mexican cuisine with the “Macayo’s Memory Contest” and a special 60-cent menu.

 Macayo’s will give away a three-day cruise for two including airfare to the contestant with the most memorable moment that took place at a Macayo’s restaurant. The “Macayo’s Memory” contest call for entries will begin August 14 and participants have until October 10 to submit their story at any Macayo’s location or on the website, www.macayo.com. The winner will be announced October 19 at the Macayo’s VIP event to share their unforgettable experience with Macayo’s family members and guests.

 Macayo’s invites patrons to order a special menu item October 16 through October 23 for only 60 cents. Macayo’s has each day covered with a different mouth-watering choice including a cheese enchilada and the ever-popular rocks margarita. The kids aren’t left out of the celebration either; children can eat for just 60 cents the entire month of October with a special 60-cent Kids’ Menu.

 October 19 marks the official 60^th anniversary of the family-owned and operated restaurant. The Macayo’s family-owned tradition began in 1946 when owners Woody and Victoria Johnson opened Woody’s El Nido in Phoenix, the first of the Macayo’s restaurant collection. The Mexican café had only six tables and a counter, serving about 100 meals a week, most of them a $1 combination plate. 

 Five years later, the couple introduced their second restaurant, Little Woody’s, and the first Macayo’s was launched in the heart of downtown Phoenix on Central Avenue in 1952.  Today, the family has 17 restaurants; 13 in Arizona including Tucson and Prescott and four in Las Vegas. Still family owned and operated, the company is now run by the Johnsons’ two sons, Gary and Stephen, and daughter, Sharisse.

 “We are proud that Macayo’s has been an Arizona tradition for 60 years and we look forward to continuing the family-owned custom,” said Stephen Johnson, president and CEO of Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen. “We want to thank all of our dedicated customers who have endorsed our restaurants over the past 60 years. Our authentic Mexican food has generated such a strong following that we were able to expand to Prescott, Tucson and Las Vegas.”

Beyond offering Mexican food, Macayo’s retail grocery products, including enchilada and taco sauces and green chiles, can be found at nearly every Arizona grocery store and are a necessity in many local kitchens. The company also offers two catering services: Macayo’s Catering, featuring traditional Macayo’s fare for special events and banquets, and Victoria’s Catering, focusing on distinctive and creative dining ranging from elegant eats to home-cooked meals.

 As a testament to Macayo’s enduring quality, the restaurant has been labeled “Best Mexican Restaurant Reader’s Choice” in 2004 by the Phoenix New Times and also received the “Arizona Corporate Excellence Award” in 2005 from the Phoenix Business Journal. The readers of Phoenix Magazine ranked Macayo’s as the Best Mexican Food Restaurant in the Valley in 2006.

 For more information and a listing of local Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen locations, visit www.macayo.com.

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