When a craving for Mexican comes, it comes hard! Mexican food is a great comfort food of choice.

So I trekked down to the heart of red light district in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The open air window allows diners to get a great view of passerby.

Served over a bed of rice, the enchilada married with a well season sauce is on par. For a quick craving, Coyote delivers just that.

Campsufork.com is an easy way to upload and share restaurant food photos.

David Letterman working at the Taco Bell drive through.

Top Food Related April Fool’s Jokes

Companies tend to implement a creative April Fool’s Joke for three main reasons

1. to project that they are fun
2. to gain word of mouth exposure
3. to increase web traffic and brand awareness

At the end, a well crafted April Fool’s joke relates to trends such as a down turn economy.
For instance, Taco Bell promoting a $.25 taco labeled “Taco Bailout Day” would turn some eyes and start a viral conversation.
They would serve green chili verde “money” sauce.

On April 1, 1996, Taco Bell claimed that it had purchased the Liberty Bell. {read Taco Bell source}

On April 1, 1998, Burger King started advertising a Left-Handed Whopper. The condiments were “designed” to drip out the right side. Rumors circulated that several eager lefties tried ordering the burger. {read Burger King source}

“More chips and salsa please, whenever you get the chance!”

One gentle bite, the thin corn chips shattered.
The party train had arrived.

After forty minutes of waited, we were finally seated.
Looking at the prices, it was a no brainer.

Spicy wings ($3) are all about temperature contrast. Hot chicken wings cooled in a dunk of cool ranch dressing.

The fajita beef nachos ($3) set the course for comfort food heaven. Beans and smokey beef blends so well with melted cheese. A dollop of sour cream and avocado added character.

My virgin strawberry margarita ($3) was over sweetened. Aside from this, endless refills of crispy house chips and salsa keep the palate dancing.

Happy Hour at Chevy’s start at 3pm and ends at 7pm. The ambiance is lively and service attentive. More details, visit {Chevy’s Happy Hour}.

Many investors over look the money that can be made on a food related stock. Imagine that. “Eat What You Own.” Chipotle Mexican Grill is a great example. Each time you spend $7 bucks on their burrito, you’re adding to their revenue.

Food.
Chipotle targets a specific customer base, people who value eating healthy Mexican food in a cool looking place. The meats are all natural with no anti-biotics. Growing up in San Francisco, Chipotle contrast the mom ‘n pops burritos in the Mission district. With its industrial design, Chipotle looks more like a modern furniture showcase center. I tried their chicken burrito and I find it lacking flavor. Their strength, similar to In-N-Out Burger, is a small menu. The fillings are mostly the same:lettuce,tomatoes,beans,herbs, and meat. It’s just a matter of the form: taco/salad bowl/ or burrito.

Consultant hat.
Started by Steve Ellis, Chipotle went IPO in 2006. At the end closing the first day, the stock price was $44. As of Friday, the stock was at 110.44. If you had invested $10,000, you would have more than doubled your money. McDonald’s owned a part of Chipotle, which gave them some management and operation wisdom. The success of Subway parallels Chipotle which is the art of being replicated. The menu, interior design, and operations can be duplicated at any location. Having a limited menu, results in companies being able to secure long contracts with vendors and also negotiate low pricing with their high volume. Categorized as fast casual dining, the turnover is fast. Since they accept fax orders, offices are often their customers. Compared to Taco Bell (owned by Yum Brands), the target audience for Chipotle is for a more hip older customer base (age 20-38). At Taco Bell, the lowest priced item may be $2 for a taco while Chipotle’s average per customer sale price may be around $8 (burrito + drink). Their full potential is yet to be seen. China + India are large market that have yet to adopt Mexican fast food. Asian countries view Mexico as a third world country and probably see mashed avocado not too tempting.

* note: For writer’s integrity, I am disclosing that I do not own any Chipotle stocks, I wish I did.

After a day venturing to Disneyland and Universal Studios, I was turn off by fancy theme signs and artificial characters. Sighting a breath of fresh air, I journey to the Farmer’s Market at the Grove. Walking through the different mom ‘n pops kiosks, my mouth watered. The French crepes, fish tacos, Brazillean BBQ, and countless more. I decided on Mexican and arrive at Loteria Grill.

Food.
Sitting at the cozy casual food bar, I expected a nominal mean. I was wrong to the “nth” degree. The carne deshebrada (shredded beef, guacamole, salsa chipotle, onion, and cilantro -$7.55) was amazing. Although overpriced compared to my Mission burritos in San Francisco, fresh ingredients and seasoning just made the burrito dam good. Even better, try the chicken enchilada rojas (two chicken enchiladas in a chile guajillo sauce-$8.95). The meal includes rice and beans. Marinated with a pungent seasoning, the enchilada was light in texture and the sauce balanced savory and sweet. Overall, I spent around $20 for two.
For a detour to a casual dining spot with ambiance and reasonable prices, the farmer’s market is a sure win.

Consultant hat.
Basing your business at farmers markets has its pros and cons. The pro’s are obvious, a high food traffic and a customer base that wants to learn more about your food, creating word of mouth. The con are the restrictions. Certain limitations such as signage and rules may apply. A Pinkberry is at the Farmer’s Market, increasing the food traffic flow. So when you pick your location, high traffic kiosks are called “anchors.” Choose a spot next to an anchor or sandwich your restaurant between the flow of one. Overall, it is a great place to start your first restaurant. Make your mistakes there, build your brand and loyal customer base.

Info:
6333 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 930-2211
http://www.loteriagrill.com/