How the Loco Group plans to differentiate their upcoming Mexican fast casual concept
The company plans to stay ahead of the competition by focusing on customer experience.
The Loco Group, a Mexican restaurant and bar group in Singapore, has confirmed their plans to launch a fast casual concept that aims to be different from “the usual” Mexican restaurants in the island-nation.
Dubbed as Chico Loco, co-founder and director Ajay Parag says that they see an “immense opportunity” as Singaporeans are beginning to look for a high-quality dining experience that also offers low prices.
He also mentioned that as most Mexican concepts serve tacos, burritos and nachos, Chico Loco’s signature offering will be a hormone-free Mexican spit-roast chicken.
“It will have the same great quality and attention to detail as our restaurants – that will always remain as our core element – but it’s a concept that can be scaled with a lot more ease compared to a full-service restaurant,” Parag exclusively told QSR Media.
The Loco Group currently operates Lucha Loco and Super Loco, having a total of three outlets in Singapore with an upcoming fourth site in the island-nation. They also made their way in Indonesia through another Super Loco branch.
“There were only a handful of Mexican places back in 2012, before we launched our first restaurant, Lucha Loco. We saw a gap in the market for a casual, experiential dining with great food, drinks and music of any cuisine at the time. So we seized the opportunity and opened Lucha Loco,” Parag said.
He stated that the Mexican restaurant scene is growing in Singapore, driven by the consumers being more adventurous with their food choices. He also mentioned that their revenues have become four times larger since first launching in 2012.
“Though consumers are also more discerning when it comes to food, they’re also more aware of different food cultures, and this open-minded attitude a perfect fit for us,” he added.
In launching a new store, Parag says that they are always considering the location, employees and customer preferences.
“Whenever we conceptualise a new restaurant, we begin by understanding the location and who our potential customers will be, and then we think about what they would like. It can be challenging to pull a segment of customers to your location, so work toward catering to the existing people at that venue,” he said.
He and his co-founders also wants to make sure that they stay true to the Mexican culture by serving traditional food and drinks. He also wants their staff to have the same level of ‘Loco’ spirit that provides a “welcoming, comfortable, friendly environment and attentive service.”
“The food and beverage industry in Singapore is extremely competitive and there’s statistically a high turnover rate, but I think we’ve managed to stay ahead in a crowded market by continually focusing on improving and doing things better and putting the customer at the heart of everything we do.”
