Durham is losing one of its best-known Puerto Rican food stops, but fans of Kokí still have one nearby place to get their mofongo, empanadas and sandwiches. The restaurant’s downtown chapter has ended after seven years, while its Morrisville location remains open.
Kokí closed its Durham restaurant on July 14 after operating at 104 City Hall Plaza since 2019, according to The News & Observer. The outlet reported that it reached out to the restaurant for comment but had not heard back by publication, so no reason for the closure was immediately available.
The shutdown was first noted last Friday in a Triangle food roundup from WRAL. For regulars, the timing is a split decision rather than a total goodbye: Durham is closed, but Kokí’s Puerto Rican kitchen is still operating in Morrisville.
Morrisville Is Still Serving Kokí’s Puerto Rican Favorites
The remaining location is at 10970 Chapel Hill Road in Morrisville. Kokí’s official location page continues to list the Morrisville restaurant, along with ordering and catering options.
The menu includes the dishes that helped make Kokí a local favorite, including mofongo, rice bowls, empanadas and creative sandwiches. Discover Durham previously highlighted Kokí as one of the Bull City’s food-truck-to-brick-and-mortar success stories.
From Spanglish Food Truck To Downtown Durham Fixture
Kokí began as a food truck called Spanglish in 2016 before expanding into permanent restaurants around the Triangle. The Durham location became a convenient downtown stop across from City Hall, giving Puerto Rican comfort food a prominent foothold in the city’s dining scene.
In a Facebook message cited by The News & Observer, the restaurant said its original goal was to “share a little piece of Puerto Rico through our food.” That mission is no longer being carried out from downtown Durham, but it continues just down the road in Morrisville.
