Chef Thomas Kelly recently founded a new dining concept called 'Mexicue,' which blends different cuisines, services and models. The New York City-based brand began as a food truck and has since evolved into three brick-and-mortor locations.
Mexicue combines Mexican cuisine with Southern American-style barbecue to create hybrid dishes such as bowls, burritos, tacos and more. Beyond the fusion menu, Mexicue is also unique in that it offers both quick service and full-service at different locations. The result is a form of 'quick casual' that consists of dishes prepared at a fast causal pace, but sold at restaurant prices. As Kelly explains, "In terms of the environment and the experience that we’re creating for our customers, it’s casual and it’s personal."
The new dining concept demonstrates the evolution of the restaurant industry as the lines between fast casual and full service are increasingly blurred.
Chef-Driven Dining Concepts
'Mexicue' is a Food Brand That Blends Cuisines, Services and Models
Trend Themes
1. Blurring Boundaries - Mexicue's combination of different cuisines, services, and models blurs the boundaries between fast casual and full service dining.
2. Hybrid Cuisine - Mexicue's fusion of Mexican cuisine and Southern American-style barbecue showcases the trend of creating unique and unexpected flavor combinations.
3. Quick Casual - Mexicue's concept of quick service with a casual dining experience taps into the growing trend of convenience without sacrificing quality.
Industry Implications
1. Restaurant - The restaurant industry can explore the opportunity to create innovative dining experiences by blending cuisines, services, and models like Mexicue.
2. Food Truck - The food truck industry can take inspiration from Mexicue's success in transitioning from a mobile food truck to brick-and-mortar locations, creating new possibilities for expansion and growth.
3. Culinary - The culinary industry can embrace the trend of hybrid cuisine by experimenting with blending different culinary traditions to create unique and inventive dishes.