Jan. 29 - Original and final Bandidos location closing; Arcos taking over location

“My father founded Bandidos back in 1980,” Schindler said. “The original location was on Winchester Road out by Wayne High School. ...It’s just been an amazing location for us over the years. I grew up there. I washed dishes. I mowed lawns.”

Bandidos has been a big part of the family’s lives, and the logo is even on his father’s tombstone, Schindler said. The senior Schindler died in March 2020 at age 85.

The family has sold former Bandidos locations: Cactus Grill will be going into Glenbrook Commons; Cancun Mexican restaurant of Lima, Ohio, bought the location there; and Arcos Restaurante Mexicano, which previously took over the former Bandidos location, will be going into the Winchester site.

Schindler gave thanks to the new owners, especially for “doing justice” to the Bandidos employees.

The past year has been difficult for Schindler as he underwent chemotherapy for Stage III B-cell Hodgkins lymphoma and was bedridden much of the time. He still has neuropathy in his feet resulting in him not being able to stand for more than an hour.

“And I just physically have not been able to work the restaurants like I need to and do it justice. So we had to make the emotional decision to move on from Bandidos and focus on our Guadalupe’s Mexican Grill concept, which is a fast-casual concept.”

Last fall, Schindler said the Bandidos Georgetown Square restaurant will reopen early this year as space for a Guadalupe’s Mexican Grill and New York Pizza and Grill Kabobs.

Now, just as Schindler’s father transitioned from Jimmie’s Pizza Inn, which he founded in 1968, to Bandidos, the younger Schindler is focusing on the transition to Guadalupe’s. The original southwest location is at 10345 Illinois Road, while two new ones opened last fall, one on Dupont Road and one in Leo Crossing. A Guadalupe’s is also in Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Arcos wrote on Facebook, “Arcos Restaurante Mexicano is coming back // we want to thank all of our family, friends and loyal customers for being patient // we can not be happier then to announce our NEW LOCATION!!”

Arcos closed the Dupont location in early January and announced that it would be relocating. A date for the Winchester Road opening has not been announced.