Tiki Taco
Tiki Taco is a Kansas City fast-casual restaurant chain (Tiki KC, LLC) serving Cal-Mex and Asian-fusion tacos, burritos, bowls, and cocktails from five metro locations, with five more coming soon. It also operates a mobile loyalty app, catering service, food truck, and branded merchandise store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tiki Taco does
Tiki Taco is a Kansas City-based fast-casual restaurant brand operating under Tiki KC, LLC. The concept fuses Cal-Mex street tacos and burritos with Asian-inspired flavors (Thai chili, Korean BBQ, tempura, avocado taco) and is positioned around a tropical tiki atmosphere. The chain operates five dine-in and takeout locations across the Kansas City metro (West 39th, Troost Avenue, Downtown Overland Park, Olathe, and Shawnee), with five additional locations announced as coming soon in Liberty, Crossroads, Metro North, Lawrence, and South Overland Park. Several sites include walk-up taco windows and patio seating for quick-service throughput.
The company monetizes primarily through dine-in and takeout transactions (tacos $3.49-$4.99, burritos $4.99-$12.99, sides $0.25-$3.99), supplemented by a full bar program (cocktails $8.99-$33.99, beer $3.79-$5.99), catering with a $125/10-guest minimum, an 18-foot branded food truck for private and corporate events, digital gift cards, and a Shopify-based merchandise store. Supporting infrastructure includes the iOS/Android mobile app integrated with the Club Tiki loyalty program, online ordering via the website and app, and a multi-tech-stack backend (GoParrot, Square, Incentivio, Google Analytics, ReachLocal, Cloudflare, Toast Tab, OvationUp). No proprietary technology, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
The customer base spans local Kansas City metro residents, university-affiliated staff and students near KU Med, corporate and private event clients, plant-based diners, and a nightlife/bar crowd. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via owned retail, the loyalty app, community events (farmers markets, neighborhood improvement districts), and organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify). All operations are regional, concentrated in the Kansas City metropolitan area, with no disclosed external institutional funding or franchise activity.
Tiki Taco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tiki Taco
- Legal name
- Tiki KC, LLC
- Website
- https://tikitaco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tiki Taco is a Kansas City fast-casual restaurant chain (Tiki KC, LLC) serving Cal-Mex and Asian-fusion tacos, burritos, bowls, and cocktails from five metro locations, with five more coming soon. It also operates a mobile loyalty app, catering service, food truck, and branded merchandise store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tiki Taco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast-Casual Mexican Restaurant
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)
Keywords
Where Tiki Taco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Tiki Taco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in and Takeout Restaurant Sales: Core revenue stream from selling food and beverages directly to consumers at physical restaurant locations. Customers order at counters or online for pickup. Revenue is generated through one-time per-transaction sales with no subscription component.
- Online Ordering: Revenue generated through online orders placed via the company's website and mobile app for pickup and delivery. Orders are processed through GoParrot and Square payment platforms.
- Catering Services: Corporate and private event catering with a minimum of 10 guests and $125 minimum order. Catering orders must be submitted at least 16 hours in advance. Provides tacos, burritos, bowls, and other menu items for events.
- Food Truck Events: Mobile food truck service for private and corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, and community events. Customizable menus for specific event needs.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through their Shopify store including apparel and promotional items. Members of Tiki Rewards program can earn merchandise as rewards.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold online and emailed directly to recipients for use at any Tiki Taco location.
- Loyalty Program: Club Tiki rewards program where members earn points through purchases that can be redeemed for free tacos, discounts, and merchandise. Exclusive member deals such as $1 off tacos on Tuesdays and $1 off burritos on Mondays.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering minimum orders start at $125 with 10 guest minimum |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Tiki Taco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tiki Taco operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Cal-Mex style street tacos, burritos, bowls, sides, and desserts with Asian-inspired fusion flavors (Thai chili, Korean BBQ, tempura), alongside a drinks menu of margaritas, cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. The core offer is supplemented by a Club Tiki loyalty program and branded mobile app, catering for groups of 10+, an event food truck, digital gift cards, and branded merchandise. All five currently operating locations are in the Kansas City metropolitan area (Missouri and Kansas), with five additional locations in development.
Product overview
Tiki Taco is a fast-casual Mexican/Cal-Mex restaurant chain with multiple physical locations across the Kansas City metro area. The core offering consists of a food menu (tacos, burritos, bowls, sides, desserts) and a drinks menu (non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails, beer). This is supplemented by digital products including the Tiki Taco Mobile App for iOS/Android, the Club Tiki Rewards loyalty program, and online ordering via third-party platforms. Additional services include catering (with a $125 minimum and 16-hour advance notice required) and a food truck for event catering. Gift cards are also available for purchase.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tiki Taco Food Menu
Companies that use Tiki Taco
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tiki Taco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Tiki Taco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GoParrot, Inc.coreGoParrot provides online ordering and payment processing infrastructure for Tiki Taco's website. Customer order and payment information is collected and processed through GoParrot when customers place online orders.
- Square, Inc.coreSquare provides payment processing services for online ordering at Tiki Taco. When customers order from Tiki Taco, Square collects payment information to process transactions and contact customers.
- ReachLocalminorReachLocal assists Tiki Taco with advertising products and services, including retargeting products that show advertisements to users when they visit other sites in the ReachLocal network or third-party networks. Uses cookies provided through third-party partners to deliver targeted advertising.
- Club Tiki (Loyalty Program)coreInternal loyalty program branded as Club Tiki. Members receive exclusive deals including $1 off tacos on Tuesdays and $1 off burritos on Mondays. Members can earn and redeem points for free tacos, discounts, and merchandise rewards.
- IncentiviocoreIncentivio provides the online ordering platform used by Tiki Taco for both regular orders and catering. Powers the mobile app ordering experience and gift card purchasing system.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tiki Taco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: Largest US fast-casual Mexican chain with national scale, app, loyalty program, and supply-chain advantages; defines the category ceiling Tiki Taco competes within.
- Taco Bell: Largest Mexican-inspired QSR in the US with massive marketing, value menu, and digital ordering; sets the price/value expectation in the broader taco category for Tiki Taco's customers.
Direct peers
- Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Regional fast-casual taco franchise with strong multi-state footprint, frozen margaritas, and casual Baja-style positioning; comparable unit-economics and operating profile to Tiki Taco's.
- Velvet Taco: Premium fast-casual taco chain built around globally-inspired, weekly-rotating specialty tacos; directly comparable to Tiki Taco on fusion menu, full bar program, and upscale-casual positioning.
- Qdoba Mexican Eats: National fast-casual Mexican chain with similar menu (tacos, burritos, bowls) and counter-service model; sets the national benchmark Tiki Taco must differentiate against in its market.
- Mission Taco Joint: KC-based fast-casual taco chain with creative/elevated menu and multiple metro locations; the closest direct regional competitor sharing Tiki Taco's home market, demographic, and fusion-forward positioning.
- Torchy's Tacos: Texas-born fast-casual taco concept known for creative signature tacos and a "damn good" brand voice; closely mirrors Tiki Taco's fusion-style menu approach and counter-service model.
- Condado Tacos: Build-your-own taco fast-casual concept with creative menu, full bar, and modern decor; mirrors Tiki Taco's fusion-inspired menu and experiential positioning.
- Moës Southwest Grill: National fast-casual Southwestern chain serving burritos, tacos, and bowls with a fun brand voice; comparable format, price point, and target demographic to Tiki Taco.
Emerging players
- Surcheros Fresh Mexican Grill: Regional fast-casual Mexican chain with drive-thru locations and customizable Tex-Mex menu; smaller, multi-state chain comparable in operating profile to a regional Tiki Taco.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tiki Taco social profiles
Digital presenceTiki Taco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tiki Taco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Tiki Taco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tiki Taco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tiki Taco
What does Tiki Taco do?
Tiki Taco operates a fast-casual restaurant chain serving Cal-Mex style street tacos, burritos, bowls, sides, and desserts with Asian-inspired fusion flavors (Thai chili, Korean BBQ, tempura), alongside a drinks menu of margaritas, cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. The core offer is supplemented by a Club Tiki loyalty program and branded mobile app, catering for groups of 10+, an event food truck, digital gift cards, and branded merchandise. All five currently operating locations are in the Kansas City metropolitan area (Missouri and Kansas), with five additional locations in development.
Is Tiki Taco a public or private company?
Tiki Taco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tiki Taco founded?
Tiki Taco was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Tiki Taco based?
Tiki Taco is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tiki Taco make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Dine-in and Takeout Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Ordering, catering Services, food Truck Events, merchandise Sales, gift Cards and loyalty Program.
Who are Tiki Taco's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Chipotle Mexican Grill and Taco Bell. Direct peers are Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Velvet Taco, Qdoba Mexican Eats, Mission Taco Joint, Torchy's Tacos, Condado Tacos and Moës Southwest Grill. Surcheros Fresh Mexican Grill is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tiki Taco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tiki Taco.
What industry is Tiki Taco in?
Tiki Taco's product category is Fast-Casual Mexican Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAC, Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFAAAE, Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.