Papa Llama, the intimate Peruvian tasting-menu restaurant that grew from a pop-up tent into one of Orlando's most decorated dining rooms, is closing its Curry Ford Road location after nearly ten years in business. Owners Maria and Kevin Ruiz confirmed the decision to shut down the restaurant that carried their family's heritage to the highest levels of the city's fine-dining scene.
“Kevin and I have been running Papa Llama for almost ten years now. We've decided to close the doors at our restaurant,” Maria Ruiz said, according to Bungalower. The husband-and-wife owners did not share a reason for the closure, and it remains unclear whether the decision was driven by financial pressures, lease terms, or a personal choice after a decade of nonstop service.
Papa Llama's story began humbly, as Maria Ruiz described it: “a small pop-up tent at East End Market.” That pop-up era, which Bungalower's report traces back nearly a decade, eventually gave way to a permanent home. According to the Scott Joseph Orlando Restaurant Guide, the restaurant moved into a brick-and-mortar space at 2840 Curry Ford Road in August 2020, converting a former King's Pizza location in a Winn-Dixie plaza.
From Pop-Up Tent to Michelin Recognition
The dining room itself, designed by Orlando-based firm dap design, was deliberately small: just eight tables arranged around an exposed kitchen meant to keep diners close to the cooking, per the same restaurant guide. That intimacy became part of Papa Llama's identity as it served a fixed, family-style tasting menu with a strict no-substitution policy, paired with an extensive list of natural wines and craft beers, according to UCF Pegasus.
Kevin and Maria Ruiz are both University of Central Florida alumni, graduating in 2010 and 2011 respectively, and the same UCF Pegasus profile notes they launched Papa Llama in 2016 as an experimental, third-culture concept rooted in their Peruvian background. “Papa Llama was a fully independent small business from the start,” Maria Ruiz said, adding that it represented the couple's heritage “at the highest level.”
A Decade of Escalating Accolades
Recognition came in stages. The restaurant earned back-to-back Orlando Sentinel Critic's Choice awards for Best Latin Restaurant in 2021 and 2022, according to Resy. Before claiming a Michelin star, Papa Llama held Michelin Bib Gourmand status in both 2022 and 2023, an honor reserved for high-quality food served at moderate prices, the same listing notes.
The restaurant broke through in April 2024, earning its first Michelin star as one of four Orlando-area restaurants to gain single-star status that year, which pushed the region's total to seven Michelin-starred establishments, according to Visit Orlando. Papa Llama held onto that star in 2025 as well, per Bungalower's reporting.
Losing the Star Before Closing the Doors
The trajectory reversed in May 2026, when Papa Llama lost its single Michelin star and was downgraded to the guide's “Recommended” list alongside Capa Steakhouse at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, as reported by Orlando Weekly. That update left five Orlando-area restaurants retaining one star, while Sorekara and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon retained two stars. Bungalower's coverage of the guide reported that Orlando's Michelin stars were clustered near downtown.
Papa Llama sat along Curry Ford Road in Curry Ford West. Its rise from pop-up to Michelin-recognized dining room came as independent restaurants helped make the stretch an interesting culinary destination.
What Comes Next
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program produces annual employment and wage estimates for approximately 830 occupations.
Maria Ruiz expressed gratitude to everyone who supported Papa Llama over the years. Bungalower reported that Papa Llama had already closed.
