This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Tiki Taco is a Kansas City-born fast-casual taco brand known for fusing bold Asian and Mexican flavors; the Downtown Overland Park location at 7514 W 80th St is a branch of the multi-location KC concept, which originated on 39th Street in Kansas City in 2017.1

Description

Tiki Taco pitches itself as part taco shop, part hangout, part bar, part neighborhood joint — a fusion of traditional Mexican street food with So-Cal and Asian influences, served in a fast-casual format. The menu leans into bold pairings: birria tacos, Thai chili pork burritos, and curly-fry-stuffed burritos have become signature items that distinguish the brand in a crowded taco market.12

The Downtown OP location at 7514 W 80th St is the brand’s third Kansas City-area outpost, joining the original 39th Street spot in Kansas City, MO, and a Troost Avenue location. The Downtown OP location is operated under general manager Michael Francisco.34 As of 2024–2025, Tiki Taco has been expanding aggressively across the KC metro, with additional locations opening in Olathe, Liberty, Shawnee, and South Overland Park, making it one of the fastest-growing locally owned restaurant chains in the region.2

QSR Magazine named Tiki Taco to its “hottest start-up fast casuals” list — the only Kansas City-based concept on a national list of 40 restaurants.1

Ownership and history

Tiki Taco was founded in June 2017 by California transplants Christina McIntosh and Tyler Herndon as a late-night walk-up window on 39th Street in Kansas City, serving neighborhood bar-hoppers, medical students, and off-shift chefs until 1–3 a.m. After three years of long hours and the financial constraints of the walk-up format, the original founders were ready to move on.5

In 2020, a new ownership group acquired the brand just before the pandemic: brothers Lyndon and Lindsey Wade and their mother Judy Rush — KC-based entrepreneurs who also own The Guild event space, Paradise Garden Club, and RW2 Productions — along with chef Richard Wiles (co-founder of Westport Café & Bar) as menu director and Jason Kinslow (formerly Bread & Butter Concepts) as director of operations.6 In 2024, the group added Eric Knott, a seasoned restaurant executive who relocated from Florida specifically for the role, as CEO and partner.2

The current ownership has transformed Tiki Taco from a single walk-up window into a multi-location concept with an aggressive regional growth strategy targeting the broader KC metro. The brand is self-financing its expansion rather than pursuing franchising.2

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

  1. https://www.yelp.com/biz/tikitaco-overland-park — Yelp. Asserts: active, updated May 2026; 7514 W 80th St address; established 2017; QSR Magazine recognition. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2024-11-17/tiki-taco-fast-growing-kansas-city-chain-wants-to-double-its-restaurant-count-in-the-next-year — KCUR. Asserts: six-partner ownership (Wades, Judy Rush, Knott, Wiles, Kinslow); 2017 39th Street founding; self-financed expansion; no franchising. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. https://www.tikitaco.com/location/downtown-op — Official website — Downtown OP location page. Asserts: 7514 W 80th St address; described as 3rd KC-area location; GM Michael Francisco. ↩

  4. https://startlandnews.com/2022/06/tiki-taco-troost/ — Startland News. Asserts: Troost Ave expansion; curly fry burrito as signature item. ↩

  5. https://www.thepitchkc.com/tiki-taco-gets-new-ownership-menu-and-dining-room/ — The Pitch KC. Asserts: original founders Christina McIntosh and Tyler Herndon (California transplants); 2017 founding; new ownership group in 2020. ↩

  6. https://www.feastmagazine.com/kansas-city/article_9de54d18-9a70-11ec-b2c8-9f34847b38cb.html — Feast Magazine. Asserts: Wade family background; Richard Wiles (Westport Café co-founder); Jason Kinslow (Bread & Butter) as key hires. ↩

See also

  • Registry
  • Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
Categories
  • Kansas City–owned
  • Overland Park Ks