La Lupita Tacos is coming to Dallas
The elevated taco concept La Lupita Taco y Mezcal, founded in Cabo San Lucas, is coming to the U.S. with plans for expansion.
“The chef is a maniac about corn. He has a corn tattoo on his arm,”
Founders David Camhi and Christian Fuentes, restaurateurs in Mexico, have partnered with Duro Hospitality and Carlos Ramirez to bring the concept first to Dallas, where the first U.S. outlet is scheduled to open May 23 in the Design District.
Later this year, a second is scheduled to open in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the partners say they see runway for up to 20 in the U.S. in time, said Carlos Ramirez, CEO of La Lupita USA.
Famed among U.S. travelers to Los Cabos in Mexico, La Lupita is known for its laid back vibe and live music—the original location is open air, with no roof. There are three in Mexico, with a fourth expected to open later this year.
The U.S. division will operate as a separate company, said Ramirez.
He and Fuentes are friends from college at University of California Berkeley, and Ramirez said he has long urged his friend to bring La Lupita to the U.S. Taking Duro Hospitality as an equity partner helped make it happen, he said.
Duro Hospitality is the Dallas-based multiconcept group known for restaurants like The Charles, Casa Duro, El Carlos Elegante and Norman’s Western Japanese.
Ramirez said he’s well aware of the crowded taco space in the U.S. restaurant industry, but La Lupita is unique. The full-service restaurant will bring ingredients and spices from Mexico, like the corn for the hand-pressed tortillas, which is a specific type from Oaxaca.
“The chef is a maniac about corn. He has a corn tattoo on his arm,” Ramirez said.
On the menu are creative offerings, like tacos with wagyu or grasshoppers, and chef-curated pairings with the mezcal-focused bar program.
La Lupita specializes in al pastor tacos, including one (the Golden Pastor) that uses griddled cheese, made crisp like a taco shell, instead of a tortilla.
Unlike Mexico, the Dallas location will have a roof.
The group is already looking at other markets in Texas, including Austin, Houston and San Antonio, Ramirez said.
