Retired DJ Frank Hernandez said Dallas nightlife inspired him to open King Kups.
He noticed people frequently ended a night out at a local taco spot and he wanted to bring that fun atmosphere to McKinney with a food truck. Hernandez and his daughter Ariel Hernandez opened King Kups in 2018 primarily selling elote cups, and the menu has since expanded to include carne asada fries, churros, tacos and more.
“It turned from a passion project to an actual business without losing the passion along the way,” Hernandez said.
On the menu
King Kups’ menu “blends the best of Tex-Mex and California-style tacos together,” Hernandez said.
Popular menu items include:
- Birria taco: a corn tortilla with mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, shredded meat, onion, cilantro, green sauce and lime juice
- Carne asada fries: French fries with cheddar cheese, nacho cheese, carne asada, ranch, Valentina sauce, cilantro and queso fresco
- Chicken bacon ranch taco: a corn tortilla with mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, bacon, onion, cilantro, green sauce, ranch, lime juice and queso fresco
The restaurant offers weekly specials, such as Taco Tuesdays—where all tacos are $2—and carne asada fries for $7 on Fridays.
Frank Hernandez’s daughter Lore, who is a partner in the restaurant, said one of her favorite things about King Kups is the way people connect with the food.
“Even just last week, I had people come up and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys remind me of home’ and that makes me so happy,” Lore Hernandez said.
What makes it unique
The team at King Kups creates a fun atmosphere for its customers with music, games, a foosball table and events like tamale eating contests, Hernandez said.
In addition, King Kups has developed a strong sense of community and there are customers who attended the restaurant's grand opening who are still regulars eight years later, he said.
“We [give] to our community as much as we take from it,” he said. “We feed everyone, no questions asked.”
Hernandez said he tries to meet the needs he sees in his community, like sending the King Kups food truck out during winter storms to provide coffee and hot meals, as well as feeding children for free when SNAP benefits lapsed during a government shutdown in November.
Community members have also helped support the King Kups team following after a Thanksgiving Day break-in that cost the businesses around $10,000 during an already slow season.
“The community came together and put together a GoFundMe and helped us get back on our feet,” Hernandez said. “That was probably one of the best things, one of the worst days, but best results that I've ever had in the business.”
Plan your visit
King Kups is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m., except Wednesdays, when the restaurant closes at 4 p.m.
- 202 N. Central Expressway, McKinney
- Facebook: King Kups
