- A UCF student FaceTimes a friend to prove the imminent opening of Gringos Locos on campus. “This is lit,” the student exclaims.
Gringos is setting up shop at Knights Plaza just outside the CFE Arena, and will be replacing the Japanese restaurant Kyoto Sushi and Grill. The exact opening date is unclear, but according to Melissa Castro, a Gringos Locos manager, it’ll be “a good two months, maybe three” until we see a fully functioning restaurant, right when the Fall semester kicks into gear. A spokesperson from Knights Plaza says Gringos is currently in the “permitting and construction” phase and is working to open its doors as soon as possible.
Like its other locations, the restaurant will be serving alcohol and will “most likely” be open until 3 AM, Castro said. They might, however, consider a closing time at midnight as a trial period in order to get a feel for the area’s best business hours. Gringos Locos nonetheless will be a much needed addition to an area whose late night watering holes are hard to find.
Making the addition even more appealing to college students, the restaurant will be rolling out a new rewards plan exclusively for the UCF location. Castro said “It’s kind of like Chipotle’s ‘Chiptopia’ idea,” where customers can sign up for an “ID” to earn discounts and rewards that vary from day to day.
Students are already showing tons of excitement months before Gringos’ unofficial grand opening in the Fall. The establishment’s menu and grungy style are perfect matches for its typical customers from the Milk District and Downtown who can cram down burritos after a night of clubbing. It was only a matter of time before this taco hut decided to make a move on the thousands of college kids at UCF.
- Photo by Joey Roulette