If you’re looking to start a Mexican restaurant, you’ll need to be clear who your target market is and who isn’t.
There are many people who love Mexican food but then there are some who don’t care for it as much. And not all those who love it are going to walk into your restaurant.
So, which customers should you target and how can you attract them to your restaurant?
In this article, we will review some of the most common segments of the target market for a Mexican restaurant and give you some tips on how to reach them.
So, read on to learn more!
Who is the Target Market for a Mexican Restaurant?
If you own a Mexican restaurant or are planning to start one and want to grow your business, then this article is for you.
To best understand the target market for a Mexican restaurant, you need to first understand the reasons why someone decides to eat Mexican instead of some other type of cuisine.
By understanding people’s motivations for wanting to eat Mexican, you can divide this market into customer segments and study each segment on its own.
Following needs-based segmentation, you can create a menu for your Mexican restaurant, design its interior decor, and define the quality of service you will aim for.
So, here are the main customer segments of the target market for a Mexican restaurant:
- People who love Mexican food
- People who love Mexico
- People who like food from a specific region of Mexico
- People looking to recreate a vacation in Mexico
- People who like spicy food
- Parents looking for a place to eat out with their children
- People looking for a place to meet friends over a meal
Let’s look closely at each of these customer segments of a Mexican restaurant.
1. People who love Mexican food
People who love Mexican food are the easiest target market for any Mexican restaurant.
These are the people who will come to your restaurant without any hesitation if they know about it, they know the food is good and if it’s in a convenient location.
To reach these customers, you need to make sure that your marketing efforts target foodies in general and not just those who love Mexican cuisine.
2. People who love Mexico
This segment of the target market for a Mexican restaurant consists of people who love the country, its culture, and its food.
To reach these customers, you need to create a Mexican restaurant that is authentic and has a strong connection to the country.
This could be done by using traditional ingredients, cooking methods, and serving dishes from different regions of Mexico.
It’s also important to create a welcoming and hospitable environment in your restaurant so that customers feel like they are transported to Mexico when they step inside.
3. People who like food from a specific region of Mexico
People who know Mexico well will often have a preference for the food from a specific region of the country.
For example, they may love the food from the Yucatan Peninsula or prefer the dishes from Northern Mexico.
If you want to target these customers, you need to make sure that your menu features items from the region that they are interested in.
You could even market your restaurant as being specialized in a particular region’s cuisine.
4. People looking to recreate a vacation in Mexico
For many people, Mexico is a place to relax and escape the everyday grind.
So, it’s not surprising that some customers want to recreate this feeling when they eat out at a Mexican restaurant.
To target these customers, you need to create an ambiance in your restaurant that is reminiscent of Mexico – not necessarily the Mexico of the locals but that of the tourists and the vacationers. Because that’s what these customers are trying to recreate.
This could be done with things like festive decor, live music, and a menu that features classic Mexican dishes as well as more creative fusion cuisine.
5. People who like spicy food
For many people, the appeal of Mexican food is its spicy flavors.
So, if you want to target these customers, you need to make sure that your dishes are sufficiently spicy and that you clearly mark the level of spiciness on your menu.
Now, remember that the people in this segment of the market are not necessarily interested in Mexican food. They just want to eat something spicy. And so they may just as well walk into an Indian restaurant or a BBQ joint known for its spicy food.
So when trying to attract this crowd, tout not just the spiciness of your food but the unique, richness of Mexican cuisine.
6. Parents looking for a place to eat out with their children
Whenever a family with children, especially small children, goes out to eat, the parents are always on the lookout for a place that is child-friendly.
So, if you want to target this segment of the market, you need to make sure that your restaurant is welcoming to children and that it has a menu that features items that kids will love.
It’s also important to have a staff that knows how to handle children. You may also want to consider having a room where kids can play while their parents wait for their food.
7. People looking for a place to meet friends over a meal
Often people look for a restaurant not just for the food but also for the atmosphere.
And so, if you want to target this segment of the market, you need to make sure that your restaurant is a place where people can meet up with friends and have a good time.
This could be done by having a lively bar area or by providing entertainment like live music or a DJ.
It’s also important to have a staff that is attentive and friendly so that customers feel like they are being taken care of.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many different segments in the target market for a Mexican restaurant.
This market, naturally, includes people who love Mexico and Mexican food.
It also includes people who are knowledgeable of the different regional culinary specialties of the country and have a strong liking for food from a specific region.
People looking to recreate a vacation in Mexico are also a target market for a Mexican restaurant as are people who love spicy food.
Families with children usually find the atmosphere in a Mexican restaurant conducive to eating out with their kids as do people simply looking for a place to get together with their friends over a meal.
The best way to reach your target customers is to create a marketing strategy that targets each segment specifically. By doing this, you will be able to attract the right customers and grow your business successfully. Thanks for reading!
