Cafe Rio History

• Cafe Rio was started in St. George, Utah in 1997, by Steve and Tricia Stanley.
• Steve Stanley, a master chef of 30 years, created a menu that is the heart of the most successful restaurant concept to come out of Utah in the past decade.
• Cafe Rio’s recipes are inspired from traditional cooking found in the Rio Grande region of Northern Mexico, Southern Texas and New Mexico.
• In December of 2004, the six unit Cafe Rio chain was purchased by Bob and Kathleen Nilsen with SKM/Apax Partners.
• Since the purchase, Cafe Rio has expanded significantly, operating 15 units at the end of 2006
• Cafe Rio opened its first out-of-state location in Gilbert, AZ in July of 2006.
• Cafe Rio entered the Las Vegas, NV market in June of 2007.
• Cafe Rio has received numerous regional and national awards and recognition.