Sunbelt Asia Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Congratulations! You just became the manager of a Bangkok Mexican fast food 50 sq.m. restaurant grill which will be opening soon directly on Sukhumvit Road between Soi 12 and Soi 14! The good news is 10% of the net profits of this restaurant will go to a Thai visa party. This way all Thai visa members will be a phantom equity partner. This stand will be looking to be one of the first fresh Mexican Taco grills in the city, it will be well respected for the finest, freshest ingredients and the skill of the staff will appear they are the owner. BUT - it’s not an upscale version of a Taco Bell or Del Taco or Baja Fresh which is not looking to expand to Bangkok at this time - and that’s where you need to put on your management hat. The Goal: Establish a daily volume of serving 300 people tacos or burritos that runs nearly around the clock within a 2 month period. The Variance: At the same time as the 300 goal of customers having tacos or burritos is trying to get established, a group of Thai visa members will congregate to chit chat and partake downing a monster glass of margarita( or several) every evening. This same group of customers would eat tacos or burritos because they all will have the munchies. The Headache: Both locals and tourists have likes and dislikes how they like tacos and burritos... Thais need to be introduced to not be fearful of them, or provide other incentives for them to try. Part of the marketing goal must be to encourage people to try your tacos and see the difference. What would you do to establish this restaurant, attracting both locals and tourists to your Taco stand? This is a real world scenario; you don't have a blank check so please provide real world answers that work in the long run, not just for the short term. When providing your answers also discuss the ramifications of your marketing strategy both on the Thai and Foreign market. Some options might include theme nights, specials on Wednesdays, a happy hour period, or other incentives. Also think out of the box; recommend new ideas that haven't been discussed before - even if it’s a bit out there because this is a brainstorming experiment. The real world management of a restaurant team is watching this thread; it should prove to be a very enlightening Thaivisa.com topic! Thank you. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qualtrough Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I wish you luck! I have never understood why most Thais seem to like Mexican food about as much as they like Indian food, which is to say they don't. I don't understand because it is spicy, and is made of ingredients common to Thailand, chilis, tomatoes, rice, corn, etc. There was a fast food mexican outfit that opened restaurants near the Ambassador Hotel and in Siam Square, but they folded after a short while. Maybe it will happen some day. I would never have predicted Thais would one day be loving pizzas and hamburgers, but boy was I wrong... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 The Thai market responds well to blanket advertising and low price. That's why chain restaurants do well like MacDonalds and Pizza Hut. Mexican food has not entered the Thai psyche. One restaurant with meals from 130 Baht will attract few Thai punters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 The first thing that you need to do is hire Mike - formerly of Mike's Hamburgers and Miguel's Mexican fame - to show you how to make REAL Mexican food. He seems to be the ONLY person in Asia who can do it. He is working on his new venture, "The Hang Dong Drive In" in Hang Dong at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbelt Asia Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 I wish you luck! I have never understood why most Thais seem to like Mexican food about as much as they like Indian food, which is to say they don't. I don't understand because it is spicy, and is made of ingredients common to Thailand, chilis, tomatoes, rice, corn, etc. There was a fast food mexican outfit that opened restaurants near the Ambassador Hotel and in Siam Square, but they folded after a short while. Maybe it will happen some day. I would never have predicted Thais would one day be loving pizzas and hamburgers, but boy was I wrong... Thanks. Our research has shown it was Taco Time http://www.tacotime.com/ They had a great location on Sukhumvit Soi 11 around 10 years, but by all reports, something was missing. The General Manager of Rembrandt Hotel which has the Senor Pico restaurant stated yesterday, 40% of the customers at Senor Pico now are Thai. Charley Brown's Mexican Restaurant at Soi 11 Sukhumvit Rd does a very good business as does Bourbon Street on Tuesday nights. The other player is Coyote on Convent. No one seems to do Mexican QSR in Bangkok. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Our research has shown it was Taco Time http://www.tacotime.com/They had a great location on Sukhumvit Soi 11 around 10 years, but by all reports, something was missing. It was totally amateurish. I thought that some Thai guy had done a VERY bad copy of Taco Bell, but had no idea that it was a real franchise. I was desperate for Mexican food, but that place REALLY s*cked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbelt Asia Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 The Thai market responds well to blanket advertising and low price. That's why chain restaurants do well like MacDonalds and Pizza Hut. Mexican food has not entered the Thai psyche. One restaurant with meals from 130 Baht will attract few Thai punters. Thank you. How bout the price point of 59 Baht for a Taco? Coyote taco price for a steak taco is Bt295 ,snapper Bt290, chicken Bt265, veggie Bt250 This is for two tacos. Senor Picos is 335 Baht +++ for two tacos. Charley Browns is 80 Baht for one taco. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 (edited) For the Thais and those of us who really like real Mexican food, be sure to offer a salsa fresca that has real fresh hot chiles in it. Maybe jalapenos are too expensive here, but some kind of pepper that provides heat. A good side business would be a jalapeno farm to supply the restaurant. Also offer real fresh guacamole made with imported avacados, not watered down green mayonaise syrup. This would have to charged extra as it is a pricey ingredient. Edited January 19, 2007 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai-Spy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Our research has shown it was Taco Time http://www.tacotime.com/They had a great location on Sukhumvit Soi 11 around 10 years, but by all reports, something was missing. The General Manager of Rembrandt Hotel which has the Senor Pico restaurant stated yesterday, 40% of the customers at Senor Pico now are Thai. Charley Brown's Mexican Restaurant at Soi 11 Sukhumvit Rd does a very good business as does Bourbon Street on Tuesday nights. The other player is Coyote on Convent. No one seems to do Mexican QSR in Bangkok. There are many more places doing all/many/at least a few credible Mexican dishes (at QSR price points or not). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qualtrough Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Horchata. Most of the mexican restaurants in the US that are run by Mexicans have this. In case you don't know it is a beverage made with rice and somewhat cinnmony in flavor. Somewhat like Soy milk, but much lighter. Delicious. I don't understand why it isn't more popular in the US outside of the Mexican food market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 if it is a street taco stand keep it at street prices...nothin' over 40 baht...keep the ingredients simple, refried beans with red or green sauce for the burritos, maybe sum carnitas style pork or beef machaca...have a squeeze boddle of chili sauce available for the punter to docter it up... however, if you don't got a line on fresh corn tortillas for the tacos you may well not succeed...them taco shells just don't make it... as my colleague J R texas has advised sum nice tamales would be nice...wrapped in banana leaves @ 20 baht each, yum! let me at that mother to supervise...I'll put together a menu/venue that will burn the city down... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qualtrough Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 One more thing. One of the big let-downs in a lot of Mexican restaurant wannabes in Asia and elsewhere are the corn tortillas and tacos. If those aren't good then everything else is useless. The process for the corn is not the easiest, and involves a lot more than just grinding up corn into masa. If you can't make the real thing here you should import them by the container load from CA or AZ. You can buy something like 36 or 48 tortillas for a buck in most supermarkets there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 (edited) Yes, you must have good soft corn tortillas available. If you want to make Thai history, dress up some dark, short portly Thai ladies in Mexican dresses and have them make homemade corn tortillas out in the open in the shop. Talk about the world beating a path to your door ... Here she is! Looks a bit Thai, eh? Edited January 19, 2007 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbelt Asia Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 if it is a street taco stand keep it at street prices...nothin' over 40 baht...keep the ingredients simple, refried beans with red or green sauce for the burritos, maybe sum carnitas style pork or beef machaca...have a squeeze boddle of chili sauce available for the punter to docter it up...however, if you don't got a line on fresh corn tortillas for the tacos you may well not succeed...them taco shells just don't make it... as my colleague J R texas has advised sum nice tamales would be nice...wrapped in banana leaves @ 20 baht each, yum! let me at that mother to supervise...I'll put together a menu/venue that will burn the city down... You made me hungry. Time for dinner! We brought over a tortilla press, a a comal and some bags of Masa Harina (corn flour) Will put that to good use tonight. By the way refried beans are more expensive than meat in Thailand! Horchata. Most of the mexican restaurants in the US that are run by Mexicans have this. In case you don't know it is a beverage made with rice and somewhat cinnmony in flavor. Somewhat like Soy milk, but much lighter. Delicious. I don't understand why it isn't more popular in the US outside of the Mexican food market. Never heard of that before. Thanks. Thanks for all the input. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxm88 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Congratulations! You just became the manager of a Bangkok Mexican fast food 50 sq.m. restaurant grill... See also http://www.mcvideogame.com/game-eng.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Skipper Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Fly to Salinas Calif and check out Guiterrez & Ricos. They know what they are doing. A couple suggestions. Place an automatic tortilla machine operating in the front window,..very cool... will draw attention. Free chips and salsa. Pretty staff. Good lighting and music. Have Pinattas out front with people attempting to break them for prizes? A bunch of folks swinging a stick at a paper statue will be a hit. Create a press release with your story and some photos and the local press/guides will be printing your stuff. Member card, buy 10 and the next meal free? Perhaps a promotion with miniature tacos, real cheap to get the locals trying them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Taco Loco Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 SB, are they looking for a manager? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qualtrough Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Someone else mentioned it earlier, and I too think it would be a real hook if you had a couple of women making the tortillas by hand just like I saw when I was in San Fernando about 25 years ago. Maybe they still do that, I don't know. But you would have both fresh and tasty ingredients and something to differentiate your place from the others. Put them in an area viewable from the outside and inside. The free chips is a good idea, you would probably sell a lot more beverages, esp. if you sell beer and liquor and more than make that investment back. Might attract too many freeloaders though. OK, not free, but at a very reasonable price in order to get bums on the seats. Another idea. Have an area where customers can take home your salsa, frozen foods such as frozen burritos and packs of tortillas,etc. Not everyone will live near the restaurant, so the bannok people might have a nice meal and then stock up for the next month until they return to BKK for a visit. And one more. How about keeping track of the people who have made suggestions here, and then offering them a discount for their first visit, redeemable by presenting a print out of a PM you sent them with the discount. Yeah, that's the ticket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Our research has shown it was Taco Time http://www.tacotime.com/They had a great location on Sukhumvit Soi 11 around 10 years, but by all reports, something was missing. It was totally amateurish. I thought that some Thai guy had done a VERY bad copy of Taco Bell, but had no idea that it was a real franchise. I was desperate for Mexican food, but that place REALLY s*cked! Sorry, I was talking about the Mexican fast food joint that opened in Siam Square quite some time ago. Maybe a different franchise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nam Plah Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 I believe that Horchata contains raw, ground almonds and/or pumpkin seeds as well as rice and cinnamon. Quite tasty and healthy. To cater to the Thai cultural tastes and sensibilities perhaps add some of the more authentically "country" Mexican food like the simmered tripe stew Menudo and char-broiled Carne Asada or marinated skirt steak Tacos. (The smoky outdoor grill will bring 'em in the door.) Since Thailand has a glut of citrus and shellfish is both cheap and fresh include the wonderfully tart and spicy dish Ceviche of raw, marinated shrimp. Sure to be a hit with Thai tastebuds. I had a lovely Mexican dish of a citrusy soup with Shrimp, garlic, cilantro and rice that closely resembled a cross betwen Thom Yum Gung and Khao Thom Gung. The possibilites are certainly endless with both cultures enjoying all manner of pork dishes as well as seafood. Real Mexican food also includes much in the way of organ meats or offal including liver, heart, lung and tongue which are all bargain cuts and easy to prepare (I recall seeing a Taco vendor on the Yucatan Peninsula with a 55 gallon oildrum filled with a boiling stew of every organ imaginable skewering steaming hearts and lungs, slapping them onto a cutting board, slicing a few morsels to be thrown into a warm corn tortilla wrapped in foil and thrust into the eager hands of the returning fisherman for a few pesos.)What could be more Thai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtLOS Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Not sure if you are looking here for the basis for a business plan, but B59 for a basic taco is way too expensive. Reference the following site for some info on US pricing for TB fast food: http://www.tom.tulane.edu/dining/Menus/TB_Menu.htm A basic taco is about B32@1:36. I really think that mexican food is too close to Thai in some respects, to justify farang pricing, and thus the lack of interest, combined with the lack of access on a street food price basis. Take a lesson from favorite Thai pizza content, far from western content for the most popular combinations, and look at the demographics, a lot of Thais ordering pizza based on Thai taste, not the western norm. Now go to any McD's, and look at the same demog, you will find a much younger (and most likely overweight) demog there, a very different crowd. I think you will find there is about room enough for one tortilla manufacturer here in Thailand, and thats about it, you probably know already who that is. You will most likely get a lot of positive feedback from farang about new mexican here but in fact unless you have some new twist on content, and can come thru with a basic lunch that matches the price of a normal Thai lunch it is going to be a nitch product that you should focus on in tourist areas. Finally if you look at the condiments, such as salsa, that use larger quantities of milder chilis and fresh tomatoes, along with as you stated very expensive bean prices, to say nothing about importing masa for corn tortillas, you are up against a big price barrier. Lots of luck LtLOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screws Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Slightly off topic; Best guacamole I've ever had was at Tequila Reef, soi 7, Pattaya, last week. Chunks of avacado, right squishiness - you know what I mean. Aroi mak mak. Trying another Mex in Pattaya tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Slightly off topic;Best guacamole I've ever had was at Tequila Reef, soi 7, Pattaya, last week. Chunks of avacado, right squishiness - you know what I mean. Try right "texture". Sounds better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfmanjack Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 For the Thais and those of us who really like real Mexican food, be sure to offer a salsa fresca that has real fresh hot chiles in it. Maybe jalapenos are too expensive here, but some kind of pepper that provides heat. A good side business would be a jalapeno farm to supply the restaurant.Also offer real fresh guacamole made with imported avacados, not watered down green mayonaise syrup. This would have to charged extra as it is a pricey ingredient. Great to hear... How bout Fresh Tomato Salsa Chopped tomatoes red onions jalapeno peppers fresh cilantro A mild tangy refreshing taste Tomatillo Red Chilli Salsa Puree Chiles de arbol tomatillo fresh Spices Hot ! Tomatillo Green -Chili Salsa tomatillos, tomatoes jalapinos red onions cilantro spices Medium Hot Guacamole Imported avocados cilantro jalapeno peppers citrus juice salt spices Jalapeno peppers are grown near Chiang Mai. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Where near chiang mai ? I would like to get some. I brought seeds from the USA, they sprouted but all my plants died. I was told it was from too much humidity. Also why imported avacados? You can get avocados in Chiang Mai that are good but they are seasonal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maccaroni man Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 mexican food is much like italian food in that a northern and southern dish will differ i.e flour and corn tortillas once the chef has decided what the menu is and it is approved by people who know then it does come to price and type of restaurtant i.e. street stall nothing over 40 baht but a real sit down establishment on the high end with good music, clean toilets and excellent service will draw a crowd and repeat business everytime. beverage sales go a long way for the bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBKK Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 By the way refried beans are more expensive than meat in Thailand! What? Oh, you mean in tins. You're not making your own? Sure you're cut out for catering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 (edited) Someone before mentioned Horchata drink, which is a good idea. However, wherever you find Horchata you also usually find an assortment of tropical fruit agua frescas, sugary but very nice. That might be too much labor to make home made drinks, so another idea is to import the famous Mexican soft drink brand called Jarritos. Excellent Mexican fruit sodas in flavors such as tamarind, lime, jamaica (not a fruit), and many more. http://www.jarritos.com/jarritos.sstg About Thai avacados, yes they seem to have a short season, and aren't they from Burma? Here in Pattaya I have yet to see or try a local avacado that wasn't poor quality or rotten. Edited January 22, 2007 by Jingthing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfmanjack Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 Someone before mentioned Horchata drink, which is a good idea. However, wherever you find Horchata you also usually find an assortment of tropical fruit agua frescas, sugary but very nice. That might be too much labor to make home made drinks, so another idea is to import the famous Mexican soft drink brand called Jarritos. Excellent Mexican fruit sodas in flavors such as tamarind, lime, jamaica (not a fruit), and many more. http://www.jarritos.com/jarritos.sstg About Thai avacados, yes they seem to have a short season, and aren't they from Burma? Here in Pattaya I have yet to see or try a local avacado that wasn't poor quality or rotten. My wifes village has pretty good avacados and it is only 100k from Chiang Mai by winding road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 (edited) About Thai avacados, yes they seem to have a short season, and aren't they from Burma? Here in Pattaya I have yet to see or try a local avacado that wasn't poor quality or rotten. We get good, reasonably priced avocodos in Chiang Mai from June until December. that's not bad. I would prefer all year, but the situation is much better now than in the past and beggars can't be choosers. Edited January 22, 2007 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbelt Asia Posted January 22, 2007 Author Share Posted January 22, 2007 About Thai avacados, yes they seem to have a short season, and aren't they from Burma? Here in Pattaya I have yet to see or try a local avacado that wasn't poor quality or rotten. We get good, reasonably priced avocodos in Chiang Mai from June until December. that's not bad. I would prefer all year, but the situation is much better now than in the past and beggars can't be choosers. One of the more famous Mexican restaurants is using two imported avocadoes for every Thai avocado. They give a very small portion however. What? Oh, you mean in tins. You're not making your own? Sure you're cut out for catering? Like anything, freshness counts....everything will be homemade and fresh or we will never open the doors. That’s just how we do business. ( involved in 20 restaurants now) Mike the guy that had the Mexican stand in Chiang Mai commented how expensive refried beans are. Heard this also in Bkk. Have not gotten to that step so far on the cost of this "gold" yet. All good ideas Guys. Please keep them coming. www.sunbeltasiagroup.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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