0 , ▁the ▁company ▁had ▁ 4 0 ▁locations , ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Pan chos ▁corpor ate ▁had ▁shut ▁down ▁operations . ▁All ▁corpor ate ▁owned ▁restaur ants ▁were ▁closed , ▁phone ▁lines ▁were ▁dis connected , ▁and ▁the ▁website ▁was ▁removed . ▁The ▁reasons ▁behind ▁it ▁are ▁unknown . ▁Non ▁corpor ate ▁owned ▁locations ▁remain ▁open . ▁As ▁of ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁ 1 4 ▁franch ise ▁locations ▁operate ▁in ▁Texas , ▁Oklahoma ▁and ▁Louisiana . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁first ▁Pan cho ' s ▁restaurant ▁opened ▁in ▁El ▁Pas o , ▁Texas ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁restaurant ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁J esse ▁Arr amb ide , ▁Jr . ▁( who ▁also ▁own s ▁Los ▁Band idos ▁De ▁Carlos ▁& ▁Mic key ' s ▁restaurant ). , ▁who ▁learned ▁how ▁to ▁make ▁Mexican ▁d ishes ▁from ▁his ▁mother . ▁ ▁His ▁experience ▁in ▁cook ing ▁in ▁large ▁quantities ▁while ▁serving ▁on ▁an ▁American ▁naval ▁tro op ship ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁would ▁contribute ▁towards ▁his ▁concept ▁of ▁how ▁to ▁operate ▁a ▁buff et - style ▁restaurant . ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁operating ▁his ▁restaurant ▁as ▁a ▁success , ▁Arr amb ide ▁turned ▁his ▁energy ▁towards ▁creating ▁a ▁Pan cho ' s ▁restaurant ▁chain . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁eventually ▁re located ▁its ▁corpor ate ▁office ▁from ▁El ▁Pas o ▁to ▁Fort ▁W orth , ▁Texas ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ,