Popular Mexican restaurant Ricos Tacos will open a restaurant and club at The Norfolk Hotel in Redfern, transforming the two-storey venue into a colourful, taco-fuelled fiesta.

Owner and chef Toby Wilson has joined Sydney hospitality group Public (Maybe Sammy, The Lady Hampshire) to expand Ricos Tacos, following the closure of his small Chippendale restaurant on August 6.

The new location, set to open in early September, will serve frozen margaritas and fish tacos in a fairy-lit beer garden with bright hand-painted murals by Mike Delaney (Wilson’s former business partner, who also worked on the interiors at Chippendale).

Upstairs, there’ll be a themed bar inspired by the Mexican football culture of the 1960s, with timber wall panelling, red vinyl seats, vintage posters and live music.

“The idea is that you sit outside and have a casual meal, then go upstairs for a bit of a boogie,” Wilson tells Good Food, explaining how he was inspired by the bars and cantinas he visited in Guadalajara.

Wilson’s menu will offer more options than ever before, with old favourites like the al pastor taco, fish taco, and twice-fried hash browns joined by additions such as hamburguesas (burgers), coconut lime ceviche and a spiced chocolate ice-cream sandwich.

The drinks list will be tight, focusing on Mexican staples such as palomas, margaritas and tequila and featuring a big ice bucket from which punters can grab cold cerveza (beers).

It’s a significant evolution for the Ricos brand, which began selling tacos in a car park during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

“This was never intended to be a long-term thing, I didn’t know what the next six months would look like, so I figured I’d just make some tacos in a car park and take things as they come,” Wilson says.

“But the brand really resonated with people, and it grew really quickly.”

While Wilson was able to open Ricos Tacos in Chippendale as a one-man-band, he began to envision a greater bar and dining experience, where customers could stay a few hours, in late 2022. Coincidentally, in February, he was approached by the rapidly expanding hospitality group Public.

“We agreed to work with each other within a couple of days of meeting because it just made sense for both of us,” Wilson explains.

“[The partnership] gave me the resources and the space and the staff to create this experience.”

Despite the acquisition, Wilson remains at the creative and culinary helm of Ricos Tacos.

“Public brought us on because they like what we do and how we’re different from other taco brands in this space, and they have put a lot of trust in us to take on the space and keep delivering what people like about us,” he says.

For Public executive chairman Jon Adgemis, Ricos Tacos fills a gap in the Redfern market.

“Redfern is an important location for us to invest in further as we have with the success of La Salut, and I am confident Ricos Tacos at The Norfolk will complete the precinct,” Adgemis says.

Adgemis’ hospitality group has rapidly expanded in recent years, acquiring upwards of 20 venues between 2020 and 2022. In April, it acquired the Maybe Group, the owner of award-winning bar Maybe Sammy. In May, the AFR reported the company had more than $500 million in short-term debt.