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The restaurant has reopened as Emerald's and yes, the Chee-to is still there. It is not ordinarily on display but you can see it if you ask nicely (and bow reverently).
[Tom Kupfer, 08/03/2010]World's Largest Chee-to:- Directions:
- I-90 exit 119. Turn south onto US Hwy 169. Drive 18 miles to Lakota, then turn right to stay on US Hwy 169 for six miles, then left to stay on US 169 for 21 miles. Just before Algona turn left onto US 18. Drive one mile, then turn right at the top of the hill, just at the railroad tracks, onto McCoy St. The Chee-to is on display inside Emeralds Restaurant on the corner.
- Hours:
- Sept. 2015: Reported still closed.
- Status:
- Closed
- Algona, Iowa - World's Largest Chee-to
Restaurant is closed. New owners are remodeling and the chee-to is no longer there.
[Baumer, 05/09/2010] Here's the mutant Cheeto wearing a festive Christmas hat. As for the claim that he is "tennis-ball sized" -- unless someone has been nibbling on the poor guy -- he is much closer to "Ping-Pong ball sized." Nonetheless, it's an interesting stop, even if the staff seem a bit tired of Cheeto Groupies like me invading their nice restaurant.
Surprisingly, my stunt where I pretended to eat the orange guy by shoving a bag of Cheetos in my mouth garnered very little amusement.
[Joe Tamony, 02/22/2006]World's Largest Chee-to donated to Iowa town
Navy Petty Officer Mike Evans has donated the World's Largest Chee-to to the town of Algona, Iowa, after a fierce online bidding war. Evans, based in Pearl Harbor, discovered the mishapen blob in a regular bag of Chee-tos he bought for his 3-year old son. His eBay auction was cancelled as bidding prices reached millions of dollars. Evans decided the small town of Algona had the right idea, when they bid $180 and planned to enshrine the Chee-to and put it on display as a tourist attraction. He asked them to donate the money, along with $1000 from Chee-to maker Frito-Lay, to a food bank.
The Chee-to arrived by mail on March 10th. It will be shellacked and placed on a velvet cushion under fiberglass.
[03/10/2003]
The World's Largest Chee-to was part of the business purchase, so we're hoping it'll be back, perhaps with an even more grandiose display...