How to Open the Best New Mexican Restaurant in Alburquerque

There’s nothing like some yummy Mexican food! According to a Technavio report in 2022, the global Mexican food market should increase by $113.85 billion in the next five years with a compound annual growth rate of 6.65%. That’s why the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque will be a welcome sight. However, you won’t be the only restaurant in town, so you must be sure you get off to a good start and stay on track. Sure, tasty food and good service are vital to your success, but you’ll need more than that. Here are some guidelines on what you must do when opening up a Mexican spot in town. Once you launch your business, you’ll be on your way to helping diners make special memories. Whether they’re local regulars or visitors discovering your community, everyone appreciates a delicious meal! However, a passion for cooking and wonderful flavors isn’t enough to make your business successful. Keep reading for helpful tips!

Build Your Brand

Once you open your eating establishment, people need to know about you. With the right commercial signage, you can easily bring in some organic foot traffic. According to Business Partners, customers make assumptions about a business according to the quality and attractiveness of their signs. That’s why you should invest in professional custom signage that includes your logo, name, and attractive colors that will grab any passerby’s attention. You can also include signage in the parking area and by way of banners in other parts of the city. While there are many forms of ads, commercial signage provides non-stop advertisement. You pay for it once and keep reusing it until you choose to switch it out or update it.

You can also invest in TV and radio spots to let people know about the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque. You can pay for spots on podcasts as well as run commercial ads on social media sites like YouTube. Further, take advantage of social media with postings. Many restaurants benefit from Instagram and Twitter accounts that allow them to engage with customers. It’s no secret that there are many foodies out there that are obsessed with posting their meals. With the right dish and service, one of your dishes can end up on a customer’s account. Of course, you should also post images and videos of your own dishes and welcome people to come in to try some.

Don’t forget the power of good deals like Taco Tuesday! You can have bundles of other savings during the week, like lunch specials and happy hours. Your grand opening is a great time to pull people in with discounts and giveaways. Make sure you advertise your deals with the proper hashtags on your social media accounts!

Install New Gutters

Gutters help redirect rain away from your roof. Why does this matter to the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque? Because stuffed gutters can cause havoc on your roof and overall structure. According to Angi, when rainwater penetrates through the surface of your roof, it can cause roof rot, weakened construction, and water seepage into the building.

What do you think happens to a rotten roof or weak building foundation? It can collapse! Such a collapse could happen anytime and hurt people as well as create expensive damage to your building. Local gutter companies can install new gutters and manage them to ensure they don’t end up causing your restaurant to shut down for repairs.

Add Outdoor Seating

When given the option, many people love to sit outside and enjoy a meal or drink. When people sit outside to eat, it can be good for their health. Outside eating can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, according to Outside and Active. Albuquerque is an arid city with short, mild winters and dry, hot summers. Average daily temperatures in the winter can go up to 50°F, while summer months average over 90°F. In other words, it’s the perfect spot for outdoor dining, so the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque should allow people to enjoy Taco Tuesday and frozen margaritas outside whenever they wish.

You could invest in tables with umbrellas, but commercial building awnings are the best option. Awnings are coverings attached above windows or doorways of a building. So there’s no need for staff to constantly open and close table umbrellas outside. You can install awnings of various shapes, colors, and designs that match your restaurant theme.

The awnings will cover the concrete patio that you can decorate with plants, vases, and other creative items. If the weather gets chilly at night, you can use outdoor lamps.

Of course, you must consider the furniture outside. In addition to regular tables and chairs, you can have some couch seating for larger groups outside. Furniture should be comfortable but able to withstand the elements. If you have hard seating, provide chair cushions. You want customers to feel comfortable enough to sit for a long period to order more food and drinks. Keep cushions and pillows as clean as possible and check them for stains and dirt and switch them out as needed. A concrete patio floor is easy to clean and maintain, so you can keep the outside as lovely as the inside dining section.

Add Accessibility Features

Everyone should feel welcomed at the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque, regardless of level of mobility. That’s why there are guidelines from the Americans with Disability Act that provide restaurant specifications to make their establishments comfortable for people with disabilities or mobility issues. There are rules relating to parking spots, the number of accessible tables, space between aisles, and entrance spaces.

Is your restaurant a multi-level place? Make it easy for customers and staff by installing an elevator. An elevator maintenance company can make sure it functions well and can build one that fits the size and scope of your restaurant. If space allows, you can have a service elevator, so staff and delivery don’t have to lug food and other supplies up and down stairs.

According to the ADA, at least 5% of your restaurant tables should meet accessibility standards and be a certain height. There should also be at least one designated parking space for every 25. Of course, the space for accessible parking should be closest to the restaurant.

Renovate Your Roof

Gutter issues aren’t the only thing you should concern yourself with when it comes to your commercial roof. The commercial roofing at the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque can suffer the same problem as a residential one. Can you imagine if your commercial roof caved in? Make sure you hire a local roofing contractor to inspect your existing roof to see how sound it is. Then you make any roof renovations necessary to make sure it’s as strong as possible.

Install a roof that can withstand the heat in the Albuquerque area. A new roof can add to the aesthetics of your business in addition to providing functionality. Since the area is arid, your building may benefit from clay roofing. Such roofing may be expensive, but it’s durable, aesthetically pleasing, and handles heat well.

Maintain Your Parking Lot

As you work on your building and menu, don’t forget about the parking. When people pull into the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque, they should feel comfortable driving around and parking in the lot. Before your grand opening, hire a parking lot striping business. When people see a smooth and clean lot, it’s an introduction to your business. Finish things off with an asphalt sealcoating service that will protect the space for years. As a result, you’ll have a smooth and clean lot that is inviting to park and walk around in.

Curb appeal matters because it pulls people in and gives people a taste of how you manage your business. When people go to eat food, being surrounded by unkempt and dirty spaces can be a turnoff. In addition to visual appeal, a maintained parking lot can make people feel safe and minimize liability for your business. Avoid having structures that block areas and make it easy for outsiders to hide behind. There should be ample room between parking spaces, and have as many designated handicapped parking spots as you can allow.

Install a New Floor

Flooring isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, it’s also a matter of safety when opening the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque. Think about the flooring in the back of the house. Your kitchen staff has to deal with hot food and liquids. When you have a restaurant full of customers, expect your chef, line cooks, prep assistants, and wait staff to maneuver around the space quickly to get things done. That’s why they need the safest space possible to work in. Did you know that falls, slips, and trips cause 27.5% of workplace injuries, according to Safety Management? You can help prevent slips and falls by investing in commercial epoxy floor coating.

You’ll be impressed by how smooth and beautiful a properly sealed floor is. In addition to being safe and shiny, it’s also easy and cost-effective to clean. Your kitchen staff can quickly sweep and mop the floor to clean and disinfect it for each shift. The sealing also prevents germs and debris from settling into floor pores or cracks since those will be covered. A clean kitchen matters when it comes to food safety and your health inspection rating. Luckily, a sealed floor makes that part easier.

Don’t forget about the dining area. Do you want a stone, cement, or hardwood floor in the restaurant? You can also seal those materials to make slips and falls from customers unlikely.

Have Art and Entertainment

There’s nothing like a good music mix when dining with friends. That’s why it’s a good idea to invest in your restaurant’s sound system. You may also consider having live music at least one night a week, as that’s a great way to bring in a crowd. You can build community connections by enlisting local bands to play on a rotating schedule.

Many restaurants display work by local artists. Some even sell the artwork and have art shows. The best new Mexican restaurant can have events that will bring in the art crowd and their patrons who can indulge in Mexican catering. How about movie nights? If you have the space, you can have summer movie nights or host a Mexican film festival. With enough interest, you may want to host a movie night once a month. As your reputation grows, your restaurant can earn a reputation as a great place to rent out for events like parties, shows, and more.

Add Security Features

Building and running your business is only part of the work you need to do; You must also protect it. Whether the restaurant is open or closed, you should always have safety measures on hand. The first thing you should do is install a good security system. Have CCTV cameras in the parking lot and smaller cameras inside the restaurant as well. There should be video surveillance all around the property.

It’s a good idea to have a fence installer come and work their magic. A secure fence ensures no one can enter your restaurant property in off-hours unless they have direct access and permission to do so. As a commercial business, you’ll be handling a lot of money and can be a target. Make sure staff and patrons feel comfortable eating and working at the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque.

With the right planning, the opening of the best new Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque could be a rocking success. As you work on perfecting your menu, ensure your building, parking lot, and advertisement are on point. You don’t want to make such an investment and not have anyone enjoy it due to a lack of advertisements, poor infrastructure, and safety concerns. If you have any questions about how to facilitate your opening, contact our local team for more information.