May 5th 2017 - J. Vigotsky
Cinco de Mayo Restaurant Celebration
Taking place every year on May 5th, Cinco de Mayo is a cultural celebration that gives restaurants a unique opportunity to transform themselves for the day. By catering to those observing the holiday, you can bring in diners who otherwise would have celebrated elsewhere. If you can impress them enough with your holiday atmosphere, there’s a good chance these patrons return in the future and possibly even become regular customers.
What Is Cinco de Mayo?
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla—which saw the Mexican Army emerge victorious against the French on May 5, 1862. Since then, the day has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture. Observed by both Mexico and the United States, the holiday is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Mexican’s Independence Day”—which it is not. Traditional celebrations of Cinco de Mayo include parades, feasts, music, and dancing. And just like St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by more than just the Irish, Cinco de Mayo is also observed by those who aren’t of Mexican origin.
Mexican Food You Need to Try
If your restaurant does not usually offer Mexican cuisine, considering making a special menu for Cinco de Mayo. If your restaurant does serve Mexican specialties, maybe offer some dishes at special discounted prices. Make sure to include not just entrees, but also delicious appetizers, side dishes, and desserts.
Appetizers
Delicious Mexican appetizers like nachos and chips with guacamole are essential to any Cinco de Mayo celebration. If you want to serve authentic Mexican guacamole that will leave customers refreshed and fulfilled, follow this recipe’s instructions. It’s perhaps even more common to serve chips with a spicy bowl of salsa.
Another delicious traditional Mexican appetizer is pico de gallo—a delicious mix of the freshest ingredients such as chopped tomatoes, onions, serrano peppers, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Other items like shrimp are sometimes also added to pico de gallo to provide an extra kick. Finally—a mug, cup, or bowl of chicken tortilla soup is the perfect spicy treat get a Cinco de Mayo feast started.
Side Dishes
A Southwestern salad with black beans, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, and spices can really hit the spot for some customers. Make sure your restaurant has different-sized salad bowls—as this will enable you to offer both small and large salads. Instead of a salad, some patrons might prefer a rice-based dish that includes beans, tomatoes, onions, and whatever else you want to add! By equipping your kitchen with a commercial rice cooker, you’ll make it easy to produce large quantities of rice and keep these customers satisfied. Yet another great side dish option is corn on the cob topped with mouth-watering Mexican pesto. Usually made with pumpkin seeds, cilantro, cheese, garlic, and a serrano pepper, Mexican pesto is surprisingly easy to prepare. To make your own, just follow this simple recipe.
Entrees
Traditional Tacos are the obvious choice for a Cinco de Mayo meal’s main attraction, and taco holders are the perfect way to serve them. Whether you want to serve fish, beef, chicken, or steak tacos, you can count on customers ordering a large quantity of them.
But meat alone doesn’t make a taco. Make sure to include seasoning and tasty toppings like cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and guacamole. Also, offer soft and hard shells to ensure each customer can get exactly what he or she wants. Another entrée option is the classic bean burrito.
Other taco variations you might want to try are mini tacos, shrimp tacos, and soft shell tacos.
Perfect alternatives for meat-averse diners, bean burritos require only a few simple ingredients but are delicious all the same. Here’s a black bean and vegetable recipe that will have your customers ordering seconds and maybe even thirds!
Dessert
Send Cinco de Mayo patrons on their way only after they've delighted in the tastiness of an authentic Meixcan dessert. You can’t go wrong by offering classic Mexican crullers—also known as churros. These delicious fried treats are prepared can be prepared in a wide range of distinct ways. For diners who prefer a less heavy alternative to churros, flan or tres leches cake are great options.
Song and Dance
No Cinco de Mayo celebration is complete without festive music and dancing. Make sure to tailor your playlist to the holiday. You can go all out and hire a Mariachi band or you can play it safe and feature some of Carlos Santana’s most well-known hits. Since dancing is such a popular form of self-expression and celebration on the special day, you might want to move a few tables aside to make room for a dance floor—if at all possible.
Drink Specials
Cinco de Mayo is the perfect holiday for promoting well-known Mexican beers like Corona and Dos Equis. While those beers should certainly see an uptick in sales, the margarita, was invented in Mexico and is sure be the true star of day. Prepare accordingly by equipping your restaurant with a quality bar blender and ice machine. Since margarita glasses have a unique shape, make sure your establishment is equipped with the proper barware.
Dress Up for a Discount
It’s a well-known tradition for people to celebrate the Cinco de Mayo by dressing up in a soldier uniform or vibrant dress. Consider offering a discount or free drink to those willing to go this extra mile. By providing incentive for the most passionate Cinco de Mayo supporters to spend their day at your restaurant, you’ll quickly become known as the most festive restaurant in your community.
Decorations
Make your restaurant right for the occasion by adorning it with all things Mexico: flags, sombreros, blankets, maracas, balloons, and papel picado. Each decoration will add to the festive atmosphere, and items like the maraca can help make the experience more interactive for patrons. If you really want to impress your customers, feature a large piñata and offer a lottery to decide which lucky patron gets to bust it open.
Like all holidays, Cinco de Mayo deserves special care and consideration from restaurants. With the right approach, your business stands to benefit from attracting new customers for the holiday and the future. Since Mother’s Day is right around the corner, you might want to tell patrons about your plans for that holiday as well. If they’re impressed with your Cinco de Mayo showing, they might be ready to make a reservation right then and there.
