The last location of a popular Raleigh restaurant has closed after 15 years in the Triangle
The last location of a popular Puerto Rican restaurant closed last month in Raleigh.
Tropical Picken Chicken closed its Wake Forest Road location just after the New Year, ending a decade-and-a-half run in the Triangle.
The restaurant was founded in 2009 by former restaurateur Randy Hernandez, who launched Tropical Picken Chicken in Wake Forest, serving a menu of Latin American dishes, including mofongo, jerk chicken and rotisserie style pollo a la brassa.
Hernanez was the former co-owner or co-founder of Triangle restaurants Red Monkey, Empanada Factory and Lechon Latin BBQ Joint. He recently sold his stake in his restaurants to start a construction company.
Tropical Picken Chicken expanded with a sister restaurant called Latin Quarters in 2013, which focused more on Puerto Rican dishes, then added a second location in Raleigh at 404 E. Six Forks Road, at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest Road. There is currently a “For Lease” sign in the window of the restaurant.
Hernandez sold the Raleigh Tropical Picken Chicken in 2018 to Yajaira Aldaya, and the original Wake Forest location has become the Empanada Factory.
The Wake Forest Tropical Picken Chicken closed in 2022.
This story was originally published February 13, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "The last location of a popular Raleigh restaurant has closed after 15 years in the Triangle."
