Coyo Taco opens first London restaurant in 2026

Key points

• Miami‑born taco brand Coyo Taco is set to open its first UK restaurant in London in early 2026, following a franchise agreement with London‑based investment firm Kuvi Hospitality.
• The London site will serve as a flagship location intended to act as a launchpad for wider expansion into the UK casual‑dining and street‑food market.
• Coyo Taco was founded in 2015 in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District by Alan Drummond, Sven Vogtland, and Scott Linquist, and has grown into a cult‑style Mexican street‑food brand with 11 locations worldwide, including six in the US and others in Panama, Portugal, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
• The brand is known for hand‑pressed tortillas, in‑house salsas, and a “speakeasy‑style” night‑time concept that blends Mexican street food with mezcal, DJs and late‑night parties.
• The UK launch will be driven by Kuvi Hospitality, a London‑focused hospitality‑investment platform led by Shereen Ritchie, former managing director at Leon and chief executive at Buns from Home.
• As reported by multiple outlets, the London site is still in advanced negotiations over its exact location, with no official address yet announced, but the opening window is pinned to early 2026.

London (Extra London News) April 20, 2026

London’s growing obsession with US‑style taco culture is set to deepen next year as Miami‑born street‑food brand Coyo Taco prepares to open its first UK restaurant in London, marking the chain’s long‑awaited European debut. The Miami‑rooted Mexican group has signed a franchise agreement with London‑based investment firm Kuvi Hospitality, which is now in advanced negotiations to secure a flagship London site expected to launch in early 2026 and to act as a springboard for further UK expansion.

What is Coyo Taco and why is it coming to London?

Coyo Taco is a Miami‑born Mexican street‑food brand founded in 2015 in the city’s Wynwood Arts District by Alan Drummond, Sven Vogtland and Scott Linquist. As described by QSR Media UK, the brand has built a reputation around hand‑pressed tortillas, in‑house salsas and a menu of tacos, burritos and quesadillas that echo the flavours of Mexican street food but with a modern, fast‑casual twist.

In coverage by The Caterer, reporters note that Coyo Taco has expanded internationally to 11 locations, including six in the US and outlets in Panama, Portugal, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. As reported by The Sun, the chain is already popular with celebrities and has been described as an “iconic US fast‑food chain” bringing a more “speakeasy‑style” taco experience to international markets.

The decision to enter London follows a broader trend of US taco concepts eyeing the UK, from chains such as Velvet Taco, which had earlier announced plans for a London international debut in Piccadilly Circus, to other US‑style brands testing the UK market. As observed by Food Bible, the London food scene is becoming increasingly receptive to “taco‑forward” concepts that mix fast‑casual efficiency with stronger cocktail and late‑night‑style offerings.

How will Coyo Taco operate in the UK?

The UK rollout will be handled via a franchise‑style partnership with Kuvi Hospitality, a London‑led hospitality‑investment platform that focuses on bringing US‑centric brands to the UK market. As reported by QSR Media UK, Kuvi Hospitality has signed Coyo Taco as its first franchise partner, signalling that the Miami taco brand will be a foundational test case for the firm’s broader strategy.

In coverage by The Caterer, journalists note that Kuvi Hospitality is led by Shereen Ritchie, the former managing director of Leon and ex‑chief executive of Buns from Home, whose background in plant‑forward and fast‑casual formats makes her a natural fit for a taco‑centric concept. As the Sun put it, Ritchie’s appointment earlier in 2025 helped position Kuvi as a “launchpad” for globally‑minded brands eyeing the UK, with Coyo Taco identified as one of the most high‑profile early picks.

This structure means that while the branding, menu and concept remain driven by the Miami‑based founders, operational decisions such as site selection, staffing and local marketing will fall under the purview of Kuvi’s London‑based team.

What can diners expect from the London offering?

Industry coverage from The Caterer and QSR Media UK describes Coyo Taco’s core proposition as a combination of Mexican street‑food staples and a late‑night bar‑style atmosphere. The brand is known for its freshly made tortillas, which are pressed in‑house and served with a rotating range of salsas, alongside tacos, burritos and quesadillas that lean on bold seasoning and colourful toppings rather than heavier, deep‑fried formats.

According to Food Bible, the chain also leans into its “speakeasy‑inspired” vibe, featuring mezcal‑driven cocktails, margaritas, piña coladas and other mixed drinks that blur the line between casual taco shop and late‑night bar. In The Sun’s telling, this dual‑personality concept—where diners can enjoy quick, flavour‑packed tacos and then stay for drinks and music—has helped the brand build a loyal following in Miami and abroad.

For London, commentators at The Caterer suggest that the brand’s emphasis on freshly-made tortillas and flexible, shareable formats could appeal to both the city’s fast‑casual lunch‑goers and its post‑work social‑dining crowd, especially in central locations where footfall and nightlife are strong.

Where exactly will the first London site be located?

At present, the exact address of the first London Coyo Taco outlet has not been formally announced by either the chain or Kuvi Hospitality. However, multiple outlets report that the pair are in advanced negotiations over a flagship London site, with the targeted opening window set for early 2026.

As reported by The Caterer, industry watchers expect the site to be in a high‑footfall, central London location, likely in or near the West End or the City, where rents are high but the potential for evening and weekend trade is strong. In separate coverage by The Sun, journalists note that the brand is being positioned to rival existing UK‑based Mexican‑style chains such as Wahaca, implying that the chosen area will need strong visibility and accessibility for both locals and tourists.

Because the venue remains under negotiation, no official plans have been unveiled regarding seating capacity, outdoor space or whether the London concept will fully mirror the Miami “speakeasy” style or adapt it to local licensing and operating conditions.

How big is Coyo Taco’s global footprint today?

Coyo Taco has grown from a single Miami outpost in Wynwood to an international brand with 11 locations worldwide, according to QSR Media UK. The majority of those sites are in the US, with six in the States, while the remaining locations span Panama, Portugal, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

In Food Bible’s account, the brand’s international expansion has been driven by a relatively scalable, fast‑casual model that blends counter‑style ordering with a more curated bar offering, allowing it to fit into both tourist‑heavy areas and mixed‑use urban districts. This experience, the outlet notes, is likely to shape how the London site structures its service, from kitchen layout to staffing and bar operations.

Reporters at The Caterer emphasise that the London launch is not just a “one‑off trial” but is intended as a launchpad for wider UK expansion, suggesting that Kuvi Hospitality and the Miami founders may be eyeing additional sites in major cities such as Manchester, Birmingham or Bristol if the first London restaurant proves successful.

How will this affect the UK taco and casual‑dining scene?

Several UK‑based outlets have framed the arrival of Coyo Taco as part of a broader wave of US‑centric taco brands testing the UK market. In Hot Dinners’ coverage of Velvet Taco, journalists described another US taco chain moving into London, originally targeting Soho and later pivoting to the City, with a menu that includes “fish‑and‑chip tacos” and other fusion‑style offerings. That coverage suggests that London diners are already being exposed to more eclectic, concept‑driven taco formats, not just traditional Mexican‑style taquerias.

As noted by Food Bible, the London food scene is increasingly segmented into higher‑end Mexican restaurants, street‑food‑style stalls and pop‑ups, and fast‑casual chains, and Coyo Taco is likely to slot into the latter segment, competing with established players and newer entrants. In The Sun’s narrative, the brand is positioned as a direct challenger to UK‑born Mexican‑style chains, with the implication that London’s taco‑loving public will soon face a wider choice of formats and price points.

Observers at The Caterer add that the involvement of Kuvi Hospitality and an experienced operator like Shereen Ritchie may give Coyo Taco an edge in navigating London’s complex regulatory and lease environment, which has tripped up several fast‑casual chains in recent years.

What are the next steps for the London launch?

In the months ahead, the key milestone will be the formal announcement of the London site’s location and opening date, something that has not yet been confirmed by Kuvi Hospitality or Coyo Taco. Once the venue is secured, the focus will shift to hiring staff, finalising the menu for the UK market, and securing alcohol‑licensing approvals needed to mirror the Miami‑style cocktail offering.

As framed by QSR Media UK, the London opening will effectively serve as a “proof of concept” for a broader UK rollout, after which the partners may decide whether to slow‑roll into other cities or pursue a more aggressive multi‑site strategy. For London diners, that means the first Coyo Taco visit could arrive in early 2026, assuming the current timeline holds and no unexpected delays surface in negotiations or planning approvals.

Until then, the combination of Miami‑born branding, Kuvi Hospitality’s UK‑focused platform, and London’s appetite for casual‑meets‑cocktail‑style eats positions Coyo Taco as one of the most watched restaurant‑opening stories heading into 2026.