IN THE news

Is there money to be made — and new customers to attract — in the post-dinner time frame? That’s a question some Mexican restaurants appear to be exploring. In late April, Fonda’s location in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood announced, on Instagram, the launch of Fonda After Hours featuring “special cocktails and bites” on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. And in Columbus, Ohio, El Segundo Mexican Kitchen offers a Late Night Happy Hour from 9 p.m. until close, with half off chips, dips, nachos, burgers and beers, and $8 Margaritas and other cocktails.

It’s a trend that can reap business-building results, according to Brian Masilionis, senior director of customer development national accounts on premise at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, who once worked for a chain restaurant that did what he described as “a big late night, like a reverse Happy Hour.”

“One of the key benefits that I would tell operators is, ‘You know what’s changed with your business? Your late night’s doing pretty good, your dinner’s doing great because you’re having people coming in early for dinner and staying later because you’re not putting up the chairs at 9 o’clock or 10 o’clock,” Masilionis said during el Restaurante’s “Maximizing Happy Hour” webinar on May 4. Late night specials also draw customers who might have gone to a movie or other event. “[They’ll say] ‘I’m still going to go in there because people are still hanging out and they go have dinner at 10 o’clock…From a dollar standpoint, yes, people are coming in and having late dinners and having a cool appetizer and a cool cocktail.” trend in the July/August issue of el Restaurante

The Mezcalita Workshop at Mar Del Cabo in Los Cabos, Mexico, taught by the resort’s expert mezcal mixologist using different artisanal spirits from Oaxaca, gives guests a chance to learn about the cocktail, taste various types of mezcals and mezcalitas offered at the resort’s Encanto restaurant, discover ingredients that pair well with their favorite mezcals, and even create their own Mezcalitas.

You’ll find Encanto’s recipe for the Sea Basil Mezcalita on page 14 of this issue.

If you missed the chance to participate in el Restaurante’s May 4 webinar “Maximizing Happy Hour” there’s still time to learn how to create a successful Happy Hour in your restaurant. Just head to our website to listen to the 1-hour webinar, moderated by Publisher Ed Avis and featuring panelists Israel Sanchez from Cesar’s Killer Margaritas in Chicago and Brian Masilionis from Southern Glazers.