With one new Johnson County location already in the works, popular restaurant Tiki Taco has set its sights on another one.
The Kansas City, Missouri-based restaurant will open a new location soon in downtown Shawnee — which will also be its third eatery in Johnson County.
Tiki Taco is coming to 11200 Johnson Dr.
- The restaurant will take over a space on the northwest corner of Johnson Drive and Barton Avenue, near Flying Cow Gelato and Shawnee City Hall.
- Fellow taco shop Al Chile occupied that space for roughly three years before it closed.
- Eric Knott, CEO of Tiki Taco, estimated the new shop will open in July or August.
Tiki Taco offers tacos with “coastal” inspired flavors
The restaurant’s tacos come in a variety of flavors, from Thai chicken and “dripping” birria to Korean beef and grilled shrimp.
In addition to tacos, the menu at Tiki Taco offers other items like burritos, nachos, chips and dip, and loaded “tiki” fries.
Tiki Taco also serves cocktails like margaritas, mai tais and palomas.
Knott said the menu at the Shawnee restaurant will mirror what customers see at other Tiki Taco locations — as will the interior’s “vibrant and bright” decor.
Plus, the restaurant will have a new covered patio outside with the capacity for 60 customers.
Another Johnson County location is coming
Tiki Taco has another new Johnson County location underway in Olathe, which is currently on track for an early May opening, pending construction.
The company opened its first Johnson County location in downtown Overland Park in early 2024.
The Olathe and Shawnee locations aren’t where Tiki Taco’s growth ends, either. The brand recently opened a pop-up shop at the KU Health System’s main campus in Kansas City, Kansas.
In the coming weeks, Tiki Taco also aims to open a new spot inside Hy-Vee Arena (the former Kemper Arena) in Kansas City’s West Bottoms.
Knott said that amid Tiki Taco’s “rapid” expansion, downtown Shawnee felt like a good place to land with all of the recent new development and new businesses being drawn to the area.
“We’re really excited to bring our local neighborhood joint vibes to downtown Shawnee,” he said. “We’ve got a decent amount of clientele that travel from Shawnee to see us, whether it be to 39th Street or Overland Park. So we’re just excited to, yet again, bring a new business into a growing area.”
More food and drink news: Cosmo Burger leaving Lenexa Public Market for new digs in Kansas City, Missouri
