Miami Beach’s favorite late-night taco bar is coming to a neighborhood near you

South Beach’s popular Bodega Taqueria y Tequila is spreading the taco love all over South Florida.

Building on the success of its fast-casual Mexican restaurant and lounge in South Beach, the home-grown brand has announced plans to open new locations in Aventura, Coconut Grove, West Palm Beach and Wynwood. A second Bodega opened on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale in 2020.

“We realized we have such a tremendous loyal customer base here at Bodega in South Beach, and it transcends all across South Florida,” said Jared Galbut, co-founder and president of Menin Hospitality, which owns the brand. “Anywhere we went, people knew Bodega. They’d say, ‘We wish you were down south,” or “We wish you were up north.’ “

The new Bodegas won’t all be the same, however. The 4,000-square-foot Coconut Grove spot and 4,500-square-foot West Palm Beach spot will be full concept Bodegas like the original, both with a restaurant and speakeasy.

The Aventura and Wynwood locations will be taquerias only, because Aventura is more residential and less nightlife-oriented than South Beach and Wynwood is already saturated with nightlife options, Galbut said.

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The 1,500-square-foot Aventura location is scheduled to open first, in the summer of 2021, while the Grove and West Palm locations open later in 2021. The 2,000-square-foot Wynwood restaurant won’t open until 2023. Also planned are locations in North Beach to serve Surfside and Bal Harbour and in downtown Miami inside Natiivo Miami.

Planning for more restaurants in a pandemic has been tricky, Galbut says, but the effects of 2020 on the restaurant industry has helped the brand focus on what’s essential — and that includes stronger delivery and takeout options. The company has tested everything from new wraps to new bags and boxes in order to get its beloved tacos and burritos to the people.

“It really has changed the way we think,” Galbut said. “We’re basing business on a digital foundation. In the past, we’d say ‘I want an app so people can order online,’ but it was secondary to the on site premise. Now we’re embracing digital everything.”

That said, taco lovers still crave a night out in that funky, taco-truck style restaurant, which GQ named the most popular restaurant in Florida for late-night eats.

“People have gotten used to the convenience” of takeout and delivery, Galbut said. “But our customers still want that Bodega experience, to come in and see the Airstream and hear Mexican hip hop and grab their Corona out of a beat-up cooler and sit on picnic benches. We have such loyal customers.”

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New Bodega Taqueria y Tequila restaurants

Aventura: 19129 Biscayne Blvd.

Coconut Grove: 3419 Main Highway

West Palm Beach: 118 Clematis St.

Wynwood: 2431 NW Second Ave.

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