Americans love Mexican-style cuisine. There’s no secret about it. Mexican food is the 3rd most popular cuisine in the United States, so it’s no surprise the Mexican food franchise is one of the rising investments among restaurateurs.

There are 47,144 Mexican restaurants in the U.S. as of 2023, a number that continues to rise.

Why do Americans love Mexican foods so much?

Americans’ Love of Mexican Food

The reasons behind our love of Mexican-style cuisines may depend on the region we’re from, but there are some universal reasons Americans find Mexican food among our top choices.

Mexican-style Cuisine is Well-Balanced

Mexican dishes bring variety! A full platter of Mexican-inspired foods will have multiple options for proteins, grains, and vegetables, and they’ll all be bright, bold, and beautiful to look at and eat.

When a family goes to a Mexican food franchise for dinner, there’s always something on the menu for everyone to order and be satisfied.

Mexican Cuisine Brings the Flavor

Rarely is Mexican-style food bland. Many of the best Mexican food franchises pack their offerings with flavorful spices, natural aromatics, and plenty of textures to give the dining experience a powerful punch.

Mexican-Style Cuisine is Incredibly Customizable

Combine these spices with the above varieties, and Mexican cuisine becomes one of the most customizable choices in the U.S. restaurant industry. 

Yet another reason Americans love it, especially busy families or people with dietary needs. More than ever, people are conscious of where their food comes from or what ingredients it contains.

When a group needs to accommodate specific dietary requirements—such as gluten-free or non-dairy needs—or people with specific flavor preferences, a Mexican-style menu with many options for customization is more likely to get the yes vote for dinner than a menu with similarly-themed foods available.

Mexican Food is Affordable

At a time when most consumers are budget-conscious and spending carefully, Mexican food franchises still fit the bill.

Ingredients that create the flavorful dishes in Mexican-style cuisine are affordable, and owners of Mexican food franchises can give diners a lot of value for their dining dollars.

Many Mexican platters are under $20, and many fast-casual Mexican food franchise restaurants offer quantities that give guests enough leftovers to last for two meals. Consumers who return to their favorite restaurants do so because they love the food plus the value they get for their money.

Mexican Food Franchise Industry Trends

For the longest time, a quick-serve Mexican food franchise like Taco Bell qualified as tasty enough to satisfy Americans’ cravings for Mexican-style cuisine.

However, since Mexican food franchise opportunities like Café Mexicali and Dank Burrito have come into the picture, people have learned what fresh, quality ingredients can truly do for flavor. These newcomers to the Mexican food franchise industry have shown the United States what we’ve been missing and what bold, craveable Mexican-style foods can do for the taste buds.

These Mexican food franchises have started all new trends to watch out for.

Made From Scratch Foods

Americans are no longer satisfied with foods from cans, freezers, or microwaves. We can tell the difference in quality and taste, and we demand better.

The new restaurants coming to the Mexican food franchise industry forefront are making everything from scratch, from tortillas, chips, salsas, guacamoles, and more. Even drinks aren’t exempt from the freshness game, with Mexican-style agua frescas at some up-and-coming establishments.

Customizability

Mexican cuisine lends itself incredibly well to adding an ingredient here and leaving a topping off there. In addition, being able to mix and match different entrées to make combination platters has always been a staple of the full-service Mexican food franchise.

With many fast-casual Mexican food franchise opportunities, people have come to expect full-flavored customizability in the convenience of a quick and craveable dining experience.

Dietary Flexibility

Alongside customizability, customers are finding the benefit of dietary flexibility.

Mexican-style cuisine makes it so easy for people with different dietary needs—vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, paleo, keto, and more—to find hearty, satisfying meals at an affordable price. Being able to eat out, and find genuine choice among the menu items, when there are dietary considerations in play is such a pleasant experience for people who often struggle to find even one restaurant where their needs are met.

Modern-day Mexican food franchises are becoming a go-to for people who want to go out with friends, celebrate milestones, or just take a break from the kitchen and still eat well without spending a whole paycheck.

Café Mexicali

One of the up-and-coming Mexican food franchises achieving great things is Café Mexicali. Our founders have a combined 65+ years of experience designing restaurants from concept to operation. We’ve built successful menus that layer in the flavor and bring people back when they’re hankering for more.

Everything we make, from tortilla, bean, and sauce, is made from scratch, and our meats are hand-butchered and marinated fresh every day. Our produce is also hand-sliced as fresh as it gets. We’ve perfected each ingredient’s flavor so that when layered together, every entrée tastes its Café Mexicali best.

Then we build our guests’ orders in 9” tins, so when they’re satisfied and still have food left, they can take it home and enjoy it all over again for their next meal. Our customers get real value at Café Mexicali.

Our reputation precedes us at Café Mexicali as a Mexican food franchise that beats the competition. In fact, our revenues increase when another Mexican restaurant opens in town because our flavors win every time.

So if you’re looking for a Mexican food franchise opportunity that’ll bring the flavor, attract today’s Mexican restaurant guests, and turn them into a loyal repeat customer, Café Mexicali is the investment for you!

Call us or email today to begin your franchise journey!