Carlitas

What Carlitas does

Carlitas operates a small, privately held, dual-location taco-focused restaurant business in Oregon under the brand name Carlita's. The flagship is located at 1101 NW Northrup Street in Portland's Pearl District as a 21+ establishment, and a second location operates on the rooftop of the Gordon Hotel at 555 Oak Street in Eugene and welcomes all ages. The concept centers on Mexican-inspired cuisine prepared with locally sourced Northwest ingredients, served in soft shells, with a beverage program that includes specialty margaritas, an extensive tequila and mezcal selection, whiskey and bourbon collections, craft beer, and wine.

The product offering spans a food menu (tacos at $6.25 each or two for $11.50, ceviches, salads, soups, appetizers, and desserts), a full bar program (cocktails at $9.50–$12.50, margaritas-to-go at $10.50–$11.50, beer at $6.50–$7.50), and supporting lines including daily happy hour, weekend hangover brunch, private event hosting, online ordering for pickup, and gift cards distributed through the Urban Restaurants platform. Online ordering is handled through the third-party e-tab platform, and the website, social media presence, and email marketing are operated on SpotHopper's restaurant marketing stack; recruitment runs on r365 Hire.

The business model is a direct-to-consumer restaurant operation with three revenue streams: food and beverage sales from dine-in and online ordering, private event hosting for celebrations and corporate functions, and ancillary gift card sales. Pricing is purely transactional per-menu-item with no subscription, contracted, or membership components. The customer base is local, primarily individual diners plus a long tail of small private event bookings, and marketing is conducted through organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email, the company website, and participation in food and beverage holidays such as National Taco Day and National Drink Beer Day.

Name

Carlitas

Legal name

Carlitas

Website

https://carlitasttw.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Carlitas is a privately held, two-location Oregon restaurant brand operating Carlita's in Portland's Pearl District and on the Gordon Hotel rooftop in Eugene, serving Northwest-style Mexican cuisine and a craft tequila and whiskey program to local dine-in, pickup, and private event customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mexican Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel Bars & Rooftop Bars (CRANACAL), Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

Keywords

• Mexican restaurant dining
• Craft cocktail bar
• Taco restaurant
• Private event hosting
• Online food ordering

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from dine-in restaurant service, including tacos, appetizers, mains, and desserts. Additional revenue from craft cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, and specialty margaritas including margaritas to-go.
2. Private Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting private parties, birthday celebrations, rehearsal dinners, and corporate events. Event inquiries handled through dedicated party booking system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carlitas operates two Mexican-inspired restaurants in Oregon — in Portland's Pearl District (21+) and on the rooftop of the Gordon Hotel in Eugene (all ages) — serving tacos with locally sourced Northwest ingredients, ceviches, salads, appetizers, desserts, and an extensive craft beverage program featuring specialty margaritas, craft cocktails, tequila, mezcal, and beer. Revenue is generated through dine-in service, online ordering for pickup via the E-tab platform, daily happy hour, weekend brunch, private party and event hosting, and gift card sales.

Product overview

Carlita's is a dual-location Mexican-inspired restaurant and bar offering tacos with Northwest flair. The core offering consists of two brick-and-mortar restaurants (Portland in the Pearl District and Eugene at the Gordon Hotel rooftop) featuring food and drink menus including signature tacos, ceviches, craft cocktails, and extensive spirits selections. Supporting products include an online ordering system, happy hour and brunch programs, private event hosting, and gift cards. The Portland location is 21+ while the Eugene location is all-ages welcome.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carlita's Portland Restaurant Full-service dine-in restaurant located at 1101 NW Northrup St, Portland, OR 97209 in the Pearl District. 21+ establishment featuring tacos with Northwest flair, craft cocktails, and an extensive spirits selection including whiskey and agave spirits. Open Mon-Thu 4 PM-11 PM, Fri 4 PM-12 AM, Sat 12 PM-12 AM, Sun 12 PM-10 PM with daily happy hour 4-6 PM and 9 PM-close.
• Carlita's Eugene Restaurant Full-service dine-in restaurant at 555 Oak St, Eugene, OR 97401 on the rooftop of the Gordon Hotel. All ages welcome, offering the same menu as Portland with locally sourced Northwest ingredients. Open daily 4 PM-10 PM with daily happy hour 4-6 PM and 9 PM-close.
• Food Menu Mexican-inspired cuisine featuring tacos (smoked pork belly, blackened salmon, mole chicken, Piedmontese short rib, apple smoked carne Asada, Yucatan pork, black kale & mountain spinach, wild hongos, aguacates), ceviches, salads, appetizers (house chips & salsa, guacamole, chorizo chili queso, elote, Carlita's skillet, mole chicken nachos), soups, sides, and desserts. Tacos priced at $6.25 each or 2 for $11.50.
• Drink Menu Full bar service including craft cocktails ($9.50-$12.50), margaritas to-go ($10.50-$11.50), extensive tequila and mezcal selections, whiskey and bourbon collections, craft beer (draft $7.50/pint, bottled $6.50), and wines. Features specialty drinks such as La Margarita De Carlita, Ay Dios Mio, Carlita's Way, Romper, A Mezcal to Arms, Drugstore Cowboy, and La Paloma, with margarita flights at $22.00.
• Happy Hour Program Daily happy hour from 4-6 PM and 9 PM-close featuring discounted appetizers ($6.95-$11.95), tacos at $5.25 each, and cocktails at $9.50. Weekly themed specials include Mezcal Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, and Pup Cup Wednesdays. Cocktail specials excluded Friday and Saturday 9-close.
• Weekend Brunch Hangover Brunch served Saturday and Sunday from 12 PM-3 PM featuring Papa Huevo Taco ($6.25), Huevos Rancheros Tostada ($9.95), Chilaquiles ($11.95), Fruity Bubbles ($7.00), and other breakfast items.
• Online Ordering Streamlined online ordering system powered by the E-tab platform enabling customers to order signature tacos, appetizers, and drinks for pickup directly from carlitaspdx.e-tab.com.
• Private Events and Parties Group reservations and private party hosting for birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and other special occasions. Features an intimate setting with customizable menus and full bar service. Event inquiries handled through a dedicated party booking system on the company website.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards available for purchase, redeemable at Carlitas Portland and Eugene locations. Powered by the Urban Restaurants gift card platform.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gordon HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarlita's Eugene location operates on the rooftop of the Gordon Hotel, providing a unique dining venue partnership that combines hospitality services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Qdoba Mexican Eats: Multi-unit fast-casual Mexican chain with national footprint and standardized menu. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Mexican category with overlapping customer base, though positioned in counter-service rather than full-service bar-driven dining.
• Taco Bell: Mass-market QSR Mexican chain owned by Yum! Brands. Comparable as a broad incumbent defining the value end of the Mexican category, though operating model and target customer differ materially from Carlitas' full-service, beverage-led concept.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual Mexican chain with broad footprint and standardized operating model. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the Mexican category, though positioned in the limited-service segment rather than Carlitas' full-service taco and bar concept.

Emerging players

• Bartaco: Multi-unit upscale taco and tequila bar concept with locations across the Eastern US. Comparable on taco-centric menu, tequila-focused bar program, and design-driven full-service format, with overlap on target demographic seeking elevated casual Mexican.
• Torchy's Tacos: Regional taco chain known for inventive taco menu and signature cocktails. Comparable on taco-led concept, full-service casual dining format, and beverage program emphasis, though operates at larger multi-unit scale than Carlitas.

Direct peers

• ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria: Long-established Portland taqueria serving Mexican street-style tacos and craft margaritas with multiple locations in the metro. Directly comparable to Carlitas on cuisine category, beverage-led positioning, and casual dine-in format targeting Portland customers.
• Taqueria Nueve: Portland taqueria concept focused on regionally-sourced tacos and a curated cocktail and tequila program. Comparable to Carlitas on local-ingredient sourcing, taco-centric menu, and craft beverage differentiation.
• Verde Cocina: Portland farm-to-table Mexican restaurant group with multiple locations emphasizing fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Comparable on Mexican cuisine with Pacific Northwest ingredient sourcing and multi-unit independent operator profile.
• Santeria: Portland Mexican-themed restaurant and bar offering tacos, tequila-focused cocktails, and a vibrant bar atmosphere. Closely mirrors Carlitas' combination of Mexican cuisine, strong agave spirits program, and bar-driven traffic in the same Portland market.
• Andina Restaurant: Pearl District Portland upscale Latin American restaurant serving tapas, ceviches, and a pisco/cocktail bar. Comparable to Carlitas on Pearl District location, full-service Latin-inspired cuisine, and craft beverage program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1078097388961536
• Instagraminstagram.com/carlitasttw

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carlitas