Lacayo, a Latin American restaurant in Cedar Rapids’ NewBo district, will permanently close on April 11.
The restaurant at 1202 3rd St. SE was previously known as Caucho, until it was purchased by Armina and Daniel Lacayo, who imbued the space with their name in 2023. The couple also expanded the restaurant’s menu, offering cuisine from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.
Lacayo announced its closure in a Facebook post on March 19.
“Through the challenges of the past year, we’ve made many sacrifices to keep our doors open. But today, we face our hardest one yet — we must say goodbye,” the post reads. “This decision is heartbreaking, but above all, we want to express our deepest gratitude. To our regulars who have shown us so much love, thank you for embracing us, for your unwavering support, and for making us feel truly at home in this community. We could not have done this without you.”
Caucho was previously owned and operated by Carrie and Andy Schumacher, who also own the restaurant Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids. Ms. Lacayo worked at Cobble Hill for nearly a decade before taking on ownership of Caucho, which originally opened in 2017.
After the transition in ownership, Lacayo participated in Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week for the last two years. It also won Best Appetizer and Best Vegan Date Night Destination during last year’s Eastern Iowa Corridor Vegan Chef Challenge.
Over the next few weeks, customers will still have the chance to visit Lacayo until its official closure on April 11. Lacayo’s current hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
