Picado Mexican is set to open a new location in the vibrant Liberties district of Dublin this December – and they need your help to make it happen. After four years of planning and perseverance, Picado has secured new premises on Cork Street. They are transforming this L-shaped concrete space into their dream home, where they will host a variety of exciting new offerings.

The new space will include:

  • A bigger teaching kitchen to host their signature-style cooking classes and supper clubs
  • A retail area showcasing a wide range of Mexican goods
  • A take-out coffee bar specialising in only Mexican drinks
  • A commercial test kitchen for the new Picado Fresh product line
  • A traditional Mexican Molino for hand-making fresh masa

Founder Lily Ramirez-Foran explains: “We have great plans for this new space. Getting here has been an incredibly challenging journey, but innovation is at the heart of everything we do. The new location will allow us to grow and bring some of the ideas I’ve been dreaming of for years to life. We’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I cannot wait to share this space with our customers.”

Ramirez-Foran, known for her social media presence and cooking segments on TV and at festivals, is very open to sharing her challenges of running a small business, especially securing financing. She adds,
“It took two years to get the keys to the space, and with inflation and rising costs, the funds we had two years ago are worth a lot less now. We need to raise €50,000 to get us to opening day in December, and we’re asking the community to help by supporting our pre-sale campaign.”

The pre-sale campaign offers a range of unique products and events, perfect for early Christmas shopping or memorable gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. Supporters can choose from various handmade goods and meal kits, experience exclusive events, and enjoy special offerings, some of which will be delivered before Christmas and the rest scheduled for 2025. Since launching the campaign a week ago to their newsletter subscribers and then on social media, they have raised over €15,000 so far. Ramirez-Foran says she is in awe of the support and kindness out there. People who I do not know are even donating without looking for anything in return.

Picado’s original store in Portobello will now focus exclusively on retail, while the cooking school will move to Cork Street. During the pandemic, Ramirez-Foran returned to her roots, reviving the tradition of nixtamalising corn by hand to create fresh masa. The test kitchen in the new space will be central to this Molino project, as Picado looks to offer fresh masa, handmade masa items, meal kits, pastries, and other fresh Mexican goods.

To support Picado and browse the exciting items in the pre-sale campaign, visit their website at https://www.picadomexican.com/pages/picado-at-the-loom-campaign