Hawaiian- and Mexican-themed restaurants are poised to fill prominent commercial spaces on Kiowa Street in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs.

A storefront at 26 E. Kiowa was left vacant by the relocation of T-Byrds Tacos & Tequila, which moved in January to nearby 218 N. Tejon St., according to its Facebook page. The Dirty Byrd, its next-door sister restaurant at 24 E. Kiowa, closed about the same time.

Haole Hawaiian Grindz, which specializes in huli huli chicken, kalua pork, coco-panko shrimp and other Hawaiian dishes, is moving from the CO.A.T.I. food hall in the 500 block of South Tejon to the former T-Byrds space, said Alex Hankins, Haole’s owner, operator and chef.

Hankins plans to open at the end of June on Kiowa Street and will remain open at CO.A.T.I. until then, he said.

CO.A.T.I. has provided start-ups a place to try out their food and menus, Hankins said. Now nearing its third anniversary, Haole has done well and Hankins said he’s ready to build on that success.

“CO.A.T.I. was supposed to be like a breeding ground for restaurants to test their concepts,” Hankins said. “We feel like it (Haole) worked and we want to see if we can expand and make it work some more.”

At CO.A.T.I., food concepts share operating pods and the venue’s dining room, he said.

The Kiowa Street location, just west of downtown’s busy Tejon Street retail and restaurant corridor, will afford Haole its own space that will accommodate an expected increase in customers, Hankins said.

In addition to dedicated space for his concept, Hankins expects to eventually enlarge Haole’s menu and will add alcohol as part of the restaurant’s move to Kiowa Street, he said.

“It kind of rounds out the entire thing,” Hankins said of having cocktails at the new location. “It makes it less of a fast-food feel and more of a sit-down bar and restaurant.”

Meanwhile, Azteca Urbano Mexican Grill plans to open Friday at 24 E. Kiowa, said Henry Mejia, who will co-own the restaurant with his wife, Fabiola Fernandez. It will feature authentic Mexican dishes such as tacos, enchiladas and burritos, Mejia said.

Mejia, who has operated Universal Construction Services in Colorado Springs, said he has enjoyed restaurants and bartending, and cited a desire to try something different as a reason for opening a restaurant.

“Construction right now is a lot of competition,” he said.

He also said he was attracted to the Kiowa Street space and downtown.

“A lot of people go there,” he said of the area.

The restaurant additions are part of a recent revolving door of eatery and entertainment comings and goings in downtown.

Newcomers over the past few weeks and months include Denver-area Mexican restaurant chain Illegal Pete’s, music venue Lulu’s Downtown and Blk Mgk, a coffee shop at The Mining Exchange hotel.

Closings have included Marco’s Pizza, the 3’s Comedy Club, The Perk Downtown Coffee & Tea House, the Lemon Lodge Ski Bar and the Tattered Cover bookstore. The Well food hall also was set to close this week.