Our restaurant name - “Poco Loco” - translates to “a little crazy” in Spanish. For us, this is an appropriate name that represents our hard working spirit, and our daring passion to deliver a new flavor experience that stays true to the authentic dishes we love from our native cultures. We are proud to serve a menu that features a fresh and bold Mexi-Cuban flavor fusion and we can’t wait for you to stop by for a taste! Call us crazy, but here at Poco Loco, we LOVE to cook and share the authentic dishes we grew up with; it's the principle that united our families to eagerly pursue this venture of infusion that might just be a little crazy. But isn’t it true that every good fiesta gets at least a little bit crazy at times?

Nos Vemos y !Buen Provecho!

Meet the owners

Karel Gonzalez is a resilient entrepreneur who is passionate about sharing the food he grew up with. Karel left Cuba and arrived in Miami as a Refugee after paddling three days in a boat that he built by hand. His resilience, commitment and hard work granted him success so he decided to venture out of Miami in hopes of sharing and discovering new experiences. When he left Miami, Karel realized that it was much more difficult to find the delicious Cuban cuisine he grew up with. Unsatisfied and equipped with determination to get a taste of home, Karel found himself in the kitchen learning the craft and he ended up discovering his new passion: he was committed to creating the authentic flavors and spirit of Cuba for others to enjoy. Karel loves the shared experience that can be discovered in food and he has embraced a mission to share the delicious flavors from his home country. Karel is an original ownership partner and has been contributing to Poco Loco’s unique dishes since opening the restaurant in 2017.

He proudly claims that our Cuban Sandwich at Poco Loco is the BEST and most authentic you will find–even better than what you’d get in Miami!

Marcos Mota, joint partner and seasoned restaurant owner, completes Poco Loco’s bold Mexi-Cuban flavor fusion with menu contributions of authentic Mexican cuisine. Marcos is a passionate entrepreneur who loves to prepare food. He has a genuine passion to take care of others that he expresses in the kitchen through the food that he creates. Prior to his venture at Poco Loco, Marcos owned and operated a successful restaurant in Puebla, Mexico that gained a loyal and avid customer following. With an entrepreneurial spirit and eager to serve authentic food outside of Mexico, Marcos headed to Toledo, OH, where he was mentored and worked closely with Chef Carlos Mendez. Marcos spent four years learning and perfecting new culinary skills (including over one year spent leading an operation that served %100 vegan and gluten free meals!) before eventually dedicating himself to Poco Loco.

As a family owned restaurant, Karel and Marcos lead Poco Loco and are passionate about collaborating on new menu creations; Cinthia (Karel’s wife) & Kayla (Marcos’ wife) contribute to the front of house service and are committed to providing a great experience.

In July 2023, a new chapter of the Poco Loco journey began when Chef Carlos Mendez & Family separated from the operation to dedicate focus on their existing and new restaurant ventures. Carlos’ share of the business was absorbed and equally distributed between Karel & Marcos, existing partners. As we transition and make adjustments, we ask that you please be patient and thoughtful as our ownership team collaborates to make improvements. Rest assured, we are committed to our well known roots! We will continue to serve our mouth-watering staples that were inspired and founded in collaboration with Chef Carlos - But Karel, Marcos, Cinthia, & Kayla are just as excited to infuse fresh inspiration and create great experiences!

!Buen Provecho!