Taco Rico Pinecrest
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A video recorded following the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in Miami Beach has gone viral for all the wrong reasons this week. The video appears to show a Kendall restaurant franchise owner using a racial slur during a heated confrontation.
According to NBC6 South Florida, Rene Seghini, the franchise owner of the Taco Rico location in West Kendall, has publicly apologized after the incident, which unfolded Sunday night as fans celebrated Spain’s World Cup victory. The video quickly spread across social media, prompting condemnation from Taco Rico Corporate and leaving other independently owned Taco Rico franchises scrambling to distance themselves from the controversy.
Each restaurant is operated by different franchise owners. Therefore, Taco Rico’s other popular locations across South Florida are unrelated to the incident.
The confrontation caught on camera
The video, first shared by @stockrhd, shows a man wearing a Mexican national team jersey celebrating alongside a crowd of Argentine fans in Miami Beach. The man was later identified as popular Black content creator MikeFrmFlawda. In the video, he continues chanting while a verbal confrontation unfolds around him.
During the exchange, a woman appears to push the creator before Seghini, standing nearby, can be heard directing a racial slur toward the content creator. The woman is then seen repeatedly attempting to cover Seghini’s mouth as the confrontation continues. Only in Dade, which also shared the video, later posted a second video showing MikeFrmFlawda briefly detained by Miami Beach Police officers following the incident.
MikeFrmFlawda is known for posting prank-style videos that involve approaching strangers in public to provoke reactions for social media content. New Times has contacted the creator for comment and is awaiting a response.
Miami Beach Police told NBC6 officers responded to the disturbance. According to the news outlet, police spoke with both parties and instructed them to end the confrontation. No criminal charges have been filed as of Wednesday, July 22.
Taco Rico West Kendall
Restaurant franchise owner issues public apology
Following the video’s rapid spread online, Seghini released a statement acknowledging that he used the racial slur and apologizing for his behavior. “I used a racist and hurtful slur, and there is no excuse for it,” Seghini said in the statement. “I am deeply sorry, and I owe a direct apology to the Black community, who I hurt with my words, along with everyone else who was rightfully harmed by my poor actions.”
He added that his comments “do not reflect who I want to be” and said he takes “full responsibility” for what happened. Seghini also apologized to his family, employees, fellow Taco Rico franchise owners, and customers, emphasizing that they should not be held responsible for his actions.
“The team members at the West Kendall franchise are community members with families of their own,” he wrote. “They played no part in this situation, and they do not deserve any hostility, harsh judgment, or retaliation.” He also said he plans to undergo anti-racism training and work to rebuild trust within the community.
Screenshot via Instagram/tacoricotexmexcafe
Taco Rico Corporate launches review
Taco Rico Corporate responded with its own statement, forcefully condemning Seghini’s language and announcing that the West Kendall franchise is under formal review.
“Taco Rico Corporate is aware of the video showing the franchisee and owner of our West Kendall location using a racial slur,” the company said. “We want to be unequivocal: this language is racist, indefensible, and has no place in our company or our communities.”
According to the company, the review will determine whether Seghini remains fit to operate under the Taco Rico brand and what corrective actions, if any, should follow under the franchise agreement.
The company also reiterated that Taco Rico, founded more than 34 years ago, was built on treating guests, employees, and community members with dignity and respect regardless of race or background. “We recognize that words alone are not enough,” the statement continued. “To the Black community and to everyone who was rightfully angered and hurt by this video: we hear you, we stand with you, and we are acting on it.”
Other Taco Rico owners caught in the fallout
The controversy has also affected other Taco Rico restaurants across South Florida, despite their owners’ lack of involvement in the incident. Because Taco Rico operates through independently owned franchises, several restaurant owners say they have been flooded with negative online reviews from customers who mistakenly believe the businesses are connected.
Pinecrest’s popular location along U.S. 1 has also been affected, but it and other franchises are unrelated to the incident.
Speaking with NBC6, Homestead franchise owner Tato González said the backlash has been devastating. “It’s taken a long time for us to build what we have built on the reviews, and now we are just getting hammered on the reviews,” González said. “That is something that had nothing to do with us.”
González, whose Homestead location opened two years ago, said his restaurant has built a strong reputation in the community and does not tolerate discriminatory behavior. “Everybody is treated the same,” he said. “Nobody is better than anybody. What happened at the moment was very disturbing.”
He added that while the video involved one franchise owner, the damage has extended across the brand. “When things go viral nowadays, it’s hurting all of us,” González said.
Taco Rico Pinecrest
A local favorite for Tex-Mex since 1992
Founded in Coral Gables in 1992, Taco Rico has grown from a favorite among University of Miami students into a longtime South Florida Tex-Mex chain. It has multiple corporate and franchise locations throughout Miami-Dade County.
The company began franchising in 2015, making the West Kendall restaurant one of its independently owned locations. You can find Taco Rico across South Florida and Miami, including in Cutler Bay, Homestead, Pinecrest, and Coral Gables.
Taco Rico. Multiple area locations, including 473 S. Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables; 305-663-3200; tacoricotmc.com.
