Javier Correa of Sombrero Mexican Food on Expansion Strategy (Restaurant Influencers - RI031)

Javier Correa Jr. has spent his entire life in the restaurant industry. His Sombrero Mexican Food restaurant made its mark with a simple marketing technique: good food. Watch this interview with the third-generation restaurant owner to learn about celebrity endorsements, finding an effective pace, and scaling a business.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, sponsored by the Toast point of sale and restaurant management company? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below!

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CHAPTERS:

[01:51] - Javier Correa 2-Minute Drill

[04:27] - Blink 182 and Sombrero Mexican Food

[09:53] - Setting Up Toast at Restaurant

[16:26] - Expanding with Technology

[20:53] - Simplify Scaling

Javier Correa Jr. is a Restaurant Influencer —

Sombrero Mexican Food is a family heirloom of sorts for Javier Correa that was started by his grandfather in the 1960’s. After initially closing its doors, Correa’s father grabbed the torch and reopened Sombrero in 1984 and things have been rolling ever since.

As a staple in San Diego, Sombrero made its mark with a simple marketing technique: good food. Their consistently quality menu items, specifically the classic bean and cheese burrito, was the inspiration for a line in one of San Diego’s most famous residents’ songs as the band Blink182 made mention of Sombrero in their 1997 anthem Josie: “She brings me Mexican food from Sombrero’s just because.”

“You know, it's this worldwide thing. But what does it come down to? Just the good food,” Correa states on the Restaurant Influencers podcast hosted by Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) of

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The 16-store chain has locations that range from 24-hour spots to locations within gas stations. With such a large scope of business, realistic balance, ironically, has become the predominant strategy for Javier Correa Jr. as he continues to guide Sombrero’s future.

“What we've been realizing is there's so much opportunity within our four walls.” the restaurant owner says of Sombrero’s expansion plans. “So we will scale, don't get me wrong, but we've had so many improvements these past few years and I see what we're doing within our four walls.”

Javier Correa knows Sombrero Mexican Food and entrepreneurship on an intimate level as a third generation owner. The San Diego staple has had worldwide acclaim while remaining true to its self described “San Diego style Mexican” roots.

NOMINATE A RESTAURANT INFLUENCER — Do you know someone or a restaurant who is great on social media? Let us know by emailing influencers@calibbq.media or sending the @calibbqmedia team a DM on social media.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Sombrero Mexican Food on Instagram

• Sombrero Online

• Blink 182 and Sombrero History

ABOUT SOMBRERO MEXICAN FOOD (@sombreromexican):

Sombrero serves “San Diego-style” Mexican food. The mission of Sombrero is to give guests quick and quality Mexican food with a smile. They handcraft all menu items to order with quality ingredients and “casera style” recipes. The restaurant chain was built off the original concept dating back to the late 1960s. Javier Correa, the CEO and founder of Sombrero, grew up serving authentic Mexican food in his parents' first location in the college area of San Diego. Javier expanded Sombrero and transformed it into a quick service restaurant that still retained the dine-in restaurant quality guests have come to expect.

• Javier Correa Jr. LinkedIn

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Welcome to the Restaurant Influencers podcast series. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with leaders in restaurant and hospitality about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling and how to show up and engage where customers are spending time online.

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• Cali BBQ Media

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