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Kiko's Place secures liquor license for Midway Drive restaurant

Kiko's Place secures liquor license for Midway Drive restaurant

Money Moves San Diego, CA local

The San Diego fish-taco staple moves toward its first sit-down location with a full bar

August 19th, 2026: Midway Drive liquor license becomes active

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Kiko's Place, a San Diego fish-taco mainstay born on a San Felipe street in 1983, took a new step on August 19. California ABC records show an active type 48 license at 3048 Midway Drive, the state's on-sale general eating place permit that allows beer, wine, and spirits on site.

One approval is not a green light to open. The license is a step toward the taqueria's third San Diego footprint and its first full bar, in the Midway District near Mission Bay.

Why it matters

The Midway District gains a local sit-down fish-taco restaurant with a full bar, if the licensed location actually opens its doors.

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Key Indicators

Type 48
ABC license type
On-sale general eating place permit, allowing beer, wine, and spirits on site.
$3.50
OG fish taco price
Signature menu item price documented at the C Street opening in 2024.
3
San Diego footprints
Mission Valley food truck, downtown C Street restaurant, and now the Midway Drive location.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 1983 August 2026

3 events Latest: August 19th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
  1. Midway Drive liquor license becomes active

    Latest Licensing

    California ABC records an active type 48 license for Kiko's Place at 3048 Midway Drive.

  2. Downtown C Street restaurant opens

    Expansion

    Kiko's Place opens its first sit-down location on C Street, serving the same $3.50 OG fish taco.

  3. Fish-taco business starts in San Felipe

    Founding

    Francisco "Kiko" begins selling fish tacos in San Felipe, Mexico.

Scenarios

1

Kiko's Place opens Midway Drive restaurant by year-end 2026

Likely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: San Diego Reader, neighborhood dining coverage

The type 48 license is active, but construction and city inspections still stand between the permit and an open door. If the build-out moves at the deliberate pace of the downtown C Street project, the Midway location could welcome customers before the end of 2026.

2

Midway opening slips into 2027

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Local business observers

Construction delays or extra city permits could push the opening past the holidays. San Diego restaurateurs have seen liquor licenses sit active for months before doors actually open. The license remains valid for a year, leaving room for a later launch.

3

Kiko's Place abandons the Midway location

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: California ABC licensing records

If construction costs or permitting snags sour the deal, the family could surrender the license and walk away. Small taquerias have licensed space they never fitted out. A lapsed license without service would end the story.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1983

Rubio's (1983)

Ralph Rubio returned from spring break in San Felipe, Mexico, sold his car to raise capital, and opened a fish-taco stand outside a San Diego bar. He sold the Baja-style tacos Kiko's Place also serves, battered fish with cabbage and cream, for 85 cents.

Then

Rubio's grew from a single stand into restaurants across California and beyond.

Now

It became one of America's largest fish-taco chains, surviving a 2020 bankruptcy restructuring.

Why this matters now

Rubio's is both model and warning for Kiko's Place: same San Felipe origin, same San Diego market, and proof the street-level taco can scale into a chain.

November 2008

Kogi BBQ (2008)

Roy Choi's Kogi Korean-Mexican taco truck hit Los Angeles streets and used Twitter to broadcast its location, drawing long lines of customers. It grew into a fleet of trucks and then brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Then

Kogi became the emblem of California's gourmet food-truck boom.

Now

It proved food trucks could build loyal followings and graduate into permanent sit-down restaurants.

Why this matters now

Kiko's Place is walking the same path, from Mission Valley truck to two sit-down locations, and the Midway license is its next step past the truck era.

Sources

(2)