With eight locations already established in Mexico and deals signed to bring nine additional units to the area, Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, the casual-plus dining concept that combines a family-friendly restaurant and sports bar under one roof, is showing no sign of slowing down. Boston’s is looking forward to establishing a total of 11 restaurants in Mexico by the end of 2015, the first of which will open in Tuxtla this August.
The newly signed deals include a seven-unit signing in Monterrey, a two-unit deal in Chiapas, and another seven-unit agreement for Mexico City. Boston’s has sold a total 34 units to date, all slated to open by the end of 2018. On the heels of this extensive international expansion, the brand also announced plans to develop a new corporate office in Mexico City, establishing its footprint as an international brand with three corporate offices in Canada and one in the U.S.
The developer behind the seven-unit deal in Mexico City is José Torrado. Torrado and his family members are already successful Boston’s franchisees with four established locations in Merida and Campeche. Similar to his existing locations, the new restaurants will appeal to the Mexican culture by offering guests a contemporary, sit-down family dining atmosphere with a separate sports bar, which allows for family gatherings of all sizes. To further encourage the family aspect, each location will include a Kid’s Zone complete with playground equipment and stations with kid-friendly activities. While Boston’s specializes in gourmet pizza and pasta, its menu features nearly 90 items, including salads, sandwiches, and a variety of sports bar favorites such as burgers, wings, and ribs.
“Because this is a family-owned business, it is that much more important to us that we create an atmosphere that truly is family-friendly,” says Torrado. “Between the Kid’s Zone and the true divide between the dining concept and the bar area, Boston’s really is two concepts under one roof and we expect the Mexico City community to receive it well.”
After re-evaluating its business model earlier this year, the Boston’s franchise development team brought on franchising expert Erica Garza to focus specifically on franchise efforts within Mexico. Garza met the challenge head-on and plans to continue creating a strong Boston’s footprint throughout Mexico. Each new Boston’s location will create up to 40 new jobs in the area, which will provide a welcomed economic boost in local communities across the country.
“We could not be happier with the rapid expansion in Mexico,” says Garza, director of franchise development for Boston’s. “We already knew that the brand does astonishingly well in Canada and is beginning to make its mark stateside, but to see that the brand translates to so many different types of cultures is just great.”
Overall, Boston’s will bring a total of 26 new locations to the country over the next two-and-a-half years. The first restaurant will open in Mexico City this fall followed by an opening in Monterrey in late 2015. Stateside, the company has 27 locations operating in 22 states and the company’s sister brand, Boston Pizza which is celebrating more than 50 years of service, has more than 375 locations throughout Canada.
