Tuk Tuk Express opens at Main Gate Square in Tucson

The new quick-serve Thai restaurant is a sister concept to the popular Tuk Tuk Thai.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Tucson's Tuk Tuk Thai restaurant has opened a new quick-service location called Tuk Tuk Express at 994 E. University Blvd. in the Main Gate Square area. The new restaurant, which opened on February 2, 2026, will offer a streamlined menu of 8-10 staple Thai dishes along with rotating specials, with a focus on speed and convenience for nearby students.

Why it matters

The opening of Tuk Tuk Express represents the continued growth and evolution of Tucson's diverse dining scene, with the addition of a fast-casual Thai concept catering to the needs of the student population in the Main Gate Square area. It also highlights the entrepreneurial spirit of local restaurateurs like Bud Sayso, who are expanding their successful brands to new locations and formats.

The details

Tuk Tuk Express takes over a space previously occupied by Mediterranean restaurant Pelio Grill and American restaurant Fullylove's until 2023. The quick-serve style of the new restaurant is inspired by Panda Express, with a focus on speed and convenience for students in the area. The menu will offer 8-10 staple Thai dishes, such as the popular crispy basil chicken, along with 2-3 regularly rotating specials.

  • Tuk Tuk Express opened on February 2, 2026.
  • The space previously held Mediterranean restaurant Pelio Grill and American restaurant Fullylove's until 2023.

The players

Tuk Tuk Thai

A Tucson Thai restaurant that has opened a new quick-serve concept called Tuk Tuk Express.

Bud Sayso

The owner of Tuk Tuk Thai and Kin Dee Thai, who is also behind the new Tuk Tuk Express restaurant.

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What they’re saying

“All the kids are so excited. We put a sign up and people would jump up and down on the sidewalk. They're even more excited than me.”

— Bud Sayso, Owner, Tuk Tuk Thai and Kin Dee Thai (tucsonfoodie.com)

The takeaway

The opening of Tuk Tuk Express in Tucson's Main Gate Square area demonstrates the continued growth and diversification of the city's dining scene, with local restaurateurs like Bud Sayso expanding their successful concepts to meet the needs of the student population and broader community.