The neon pink glow at 7 Times Square has gone dark. After roughly three years of slinging margarita pitchers and late-night tacos to theatergoers and tourists, Pink Taco's magenta-lit Times Square outpost has quietly shut its doors, leaving another high-profile hole in Midtown's constantly shifting restaurant lineup.
The two-story spot near West 41st Street is now closed and unlit, with passersby finding the space locked and empty. The Times Square branch, at 7 Times Square, closed in early March after opening in 2023, according to Crain's New York Business. Eater NY's city roundup also lists Pink Taco among March closures and notes that a closure notice was posted on the door. Delivery and reservation platforms now mark the Times Square location as permanently closed.
How It Arrived
When Pink Taco landed in Times Square, it came in loud. A press release via PR Newswire touted the arrival as a big, tourist-friendly debut, saying the bi-level restaurant opened in April 2023 in time for Cinco de Mayo. The space stretched across roughly 10,500 square feet, with seating for about 300 guests.
The concept leaned into spectacle: DJs, big pitchers of margaritas, and a loud, magenta-soaked interior built to catch the post-show crowd pouring out of nearby Broadway theaters. For all that flash, though, it still had to survive Midtown's unforgiving real estate churn, and ultimately it did not.
Chain Contractions And Other Market Moves
Times Square is not the only place where the lights have gone out for Pink Taco. The chain's high-profile Sunset Strip location in West Hollywood closed in September 2024, and Eater NY's recent summaries show the brand trimming other U.S. outposts as well. Those wind-downs leave Boston and a handful of other markets as the chain's remaining U.S. footholds.
Industry observers have pointed to pressure from big leases, changing tourist patterns, and stiff competition from cheaper quick-service options as reasons full-service concepts like Pink Taco pull back, even when they have loud branding and prime visibility.
What The Vacancy Means For Times Square
Times Square still ranks as one of New York City's busiest visitor hubs. The Times Square Alliance reports daily pedestrian counts in the low hundreds of thousands. But that river of foot traffic does not automatically translate into a stable, long-term home for large themed restaurants with big build-outs.
The Alliance's market reports show that while visitor numbers have steadily recovered, storefront turnover remains a regular feature of the neighborhood. For landlords, that churn can be an opportunity to hunt for the next splashy concept willing to bet on the theater and tourist crowd. For 7 Times Square, it now means one of Midtown's most visible restaurant spaces is back on the market, waiting for the next operator ready to take a swing at the crossroads of the world.
