Mex Mex – Getting away from Sombrero Kitsch

 
Jorge Marin and his three partners in No somosocios, all Mexicans by birth, realised their dream at the end of the eighties when they opened a casual dining formula in Madrid’s Chueca district. La Panza es Primero is designed to serve up ‘Mexico on a plate to guests’. The nine concept locations (opening hours: 1 pm-1 am) are jammed packed with Mexican iconography, pictures and attributes of the country’s ‘lucha libre’ (struggle for freedom). Colourful is the best way to describe the 40- seater restaurants. The makers call their cuisine Mex-Mex – they present popular Mexican recipes featuring Tacos, Tortillas, Nachos, etc., with Spanish ingredients, some of them self-interpreted. Bestsellers with the predominantly young clientele are ‘El Pollo Cabreado’, ‘Nachos con Guacamole’, ‘flautas‘ and ‘quesadillas’. When it comes to beverages, Mexican beer, tequila and cocktails dominate. The average check comes in at €15. In addition to a shop selling Mexican products and the core-brand outlets, the group includes two locations called ‘La Barriga Llena’ and one other named ‘Sabor a mí’. ‘The Papasiones’ formula is totally new. Total sales for 2009 are estimated at €6 m.
 
www.lapanzaesprimero.com
 

 
| 23 April 2010 |