Mexican
-- Restaurants & Institutions, September 1, 2009
Who Goes Most
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61% of consumers visited at least one Mexican concept included in R&I's Consumers' Choice in Chains survey in the past year. Millennials (ages 26 and younger) and Gen X (27 to 40), people with children at home and those who live in the West are most likely to visit these chains.
What Consumers Want from Mexican Chains
Consumers were asked how they rate—on a scale of 1 (not very important) to 5 (very important)—the importance of eight attributes in choosing a Mexican chain. The chart below shows how Mexican-chain patrons' opinions have changed in the past year.
| Attribute | 2009 | 2008 |
| 1. Food Quality | 4.34 | 4.37 |
| 2. Value | 4.27 | 4.26 |
| 3. Cleanliness | 4.19 | 4.23 |
| 4. Service | 4.02 | 4.06 |
| 5. Convenience | 3.99 | 4.00 |
| 6. Menu Variety | 3.94 | 3.95 |
| 7. Reputation | 3.78 | 3.78 |
| 8. Atmosphere | 3.59 | 3.59 |
| Platinum | Gold | Silver | |
| Baja Fresh Mexican Grill | Qdoba Mexican Grill | Chipotle Mexican Grill | |
| Overall Score | 61.4 | 60.1 | 58.9 |
| The Chain | Headquarters: Cypress, Calif. CEO: David Kim Units: 291 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 110 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 23% Visited in past 12 months: 4% Plan to return: 86% | Headquarters: Wheat Ridge, Colo. CEO: Gary Beisler Units: 497 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 81 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 17% Visited in past 12 months: 4% Plan to return: 83% | Headquarters: Denver CEO: Steve Ells Units: 860 R&I Top 400 Chains rank: 36 Respondents who... Are aware of the chain: 39% Visited in past 12 months: 9% Plan to return: 82% |
| Why It Won | Consumer cachet: The chain has tapped into the power of social-networking sites: In July, a coupon posted on Baja Fresh's Facebook page led to a giveaway of 50,000 burritos, several times more than the 1,800 burritos the company had expected to serve. A Healthier Choices menu allows guests watching carbs, fat or sodium to create the right meal for them. | Consumer cachet: The company's culinary team takes menu inspiration from Mexico. For a new menu rollout this past spring, the company began to offer a hearty, spicier chile verde that was more in line with Mexican renditions. Seeking to meet consumers' interest in seasonal flavors, Qdoba introduced a Summer Fresh Mango Salad. | Consumer cachet: Green continues to be the name of the game at Chipotle, already known for sourcing organic beans, some local produce and naturally raised meats. In July, a restaurant in Gurnee, Ill., received the U.S. Green Building Council's platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. |
| Overall Score | Atmosphere | Cleanliness | Convenience | Food Quality | Good Reputation | Menu Variety | Service | Value | |
| Note: Overall Score is an index; percentages for each attribute represent respondents who rated the chain a 4 or 5 on a scale of a low of 1 to 5. | |||||||||
| 1. Baja Fresh Mexican Grill | 61.4 | 50% | 65% | 52% | 75% | 72% | 60% | 58% | 49% |
| 2. Qdoba Mexican Grill | 60.1 | 48 | 60 | 59 | 72 | 62 | 50 | 59 | 53 |
| 3. Chipotle Mexican Grill | 58.9 | 55 | 59 | 57 | 73 | 71 | 48 | 57 | 47 |
| 4. On The Border | 57.7 | 62 | 60 | 47 | 65 | 62 | 59 | 59 | 49 |
| 5. Taco Bell | 46.4 | 26 | 32 | 57 | 44 | 45 | 51 | 38 | 62 |
| 6. Del Taco | 43.5 | 26 | 30 | 48 | 47 | 44 | 48 | 41 | 50 |
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