Salsa’s expands amidst Australia’s Mexican wave

Australia’s love affair with Mexican food remains red hot, as reflected in Fresh Mex food retailer Salsa’s rapid expansion In FY 11/12.

Ten new Salsa’s Mexican food franchises opened and network sales have skyrocketed from $16M annually in 2010/11 to $27M.  

Buoyed by these figures, Salsa’s Fresh Mex Grill franchises has exciting plans to further stamp their authority as market leaders in the category.

A business under the Retail Zoo banner, which also owns wonder brand Boost, Salsa's has the backing and resources of a highly successful support office to guide its booming growth rates.

The brand has grown from four stores in 2008 to 32, with partners reporting net sales in excess of $1M per year and  strong enquiries from prospective franchisers.

"Every Salsa’s franchise business is trading profitably, a result we believe reflects the strength of our brand, our site selection and our category," said Brett Carman, General Manager, Salsa’s.

"As we continue to grow it is of great importance that we reinforce Salsa's key pillars of freshness, health and value. We set very high standards in our food and pride ourselves on having the ability to offer a ‘made to order’ Mexican experience so we can keep our promise to provide the freshest meals possible."

May/June 2012 were exciting months for the brand, with four franchises opening within six weeks across VIC, NSW and WA,  bringing Salsa’s franchises to 32 sites nationally.

With plans to open eighteen Mexican food franchises in the next eighteen months, Salsa’s anticipates a total network of 50 sites in Australia by the end of 2013.

While the casual Mexican food category is becoming crowded, Salsa's has claimed its place as frontrunner with its unique spin on traditional Mexican cuisine, offering fresh vegetables, salsas and wholemeal tortillas as standard.  

New stores, including the flagship restaurant at the Jam Factory, South Yarra, feature an innovative contemporary fitout and reflect the brand's focus on fresh and natural produce. 

Salsa's operates a mix of company and franchised stores and will manage its growth carefully. Selective about the people it brings into the business, the franchise selection process is robust to ensure the brand’s values are maintained. 

"It's as important to our food court stores as it is for our restaurants to provide a memorable experience for our customers. We've placed a huge focus on quick service and engagement with our customers, and have been rewarded with strong same-store sales growth and extremely loyal and satisfied customers," said Carman.