Marketing
Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, describes how he team transformed a typial margarita campaign became an interactive, shared experience to drive sales.
Photo: Condado Tacos
April 15, 2026 by Sara Kear — CMO, Condado Tacos
At Condado Tacos, we spend a lot of time thinking about our guests — who they are, what they’re looking for, and what keeps them coming back. What we know is that they’re experience-driven, meaning they’re motivated by a sense of adventure, and they want more than just a great meal. So, this spring, we set out to meet them there. Not just with a new margarita, but with something that would surprise them and pull them into the experience.
The idea actually started during a brainstorm around our next margarita campaign, when someone asked a simple question: What if we didn’t tell guests the flavor at all? That question turned into the Mystery Marg — a limited-time margarita designed to be tasted, guessed, and shared. To make it even more intriguing, we made it white, inspired by the nostalgia of mystery-flavored Airheads. It felt familiar in a way that made people smile, but at the same time, no one knew exactly what they were getting.
From there, our culinary team had a real challenge. Chef Tre Santamaria and his team needed to create something that delivered on flavor while still holding onto that sense of mystery. It had to be balanced, memorable, and just unexpected enough to keep people guessing. The result was a one-of-a-kind margarita that sparked curiosity from the very first pour. We invited guests to submit their guesses through the Condado Tacos app, and the response was immediate. Nearly 2,000 entries came in, with a wide range of creative and unexpected flavor theories. In the end, five winners earned a “Year of Yum!”— free tacos for a year.
Creating a moment
But the bigger impact happened inside our restaurants. The Mystery Marg created a moment at the table. Guests compared guesses, debated flavors and brought others into the conversation. Teammates joined in, and what started as a drink became an interactive, shared experience. It changed the energy in a way that felt really authentic to who we are as a brand. That level of engagement translated into strong performance.
While we’re not disclosing specific sales figures, the Mystery Marg drove a 70% increase in sales volume and a 177% increase in return rate compared to the average limited-time margarita. We also saw lifts in average order value and overall ticket size. In its first five weeks, it outperformed our previous top-performing LTO, the Harvest Pear Marg, setting a new benchmark for our spring launches. But what we’re most excited about is what it represents.
As our team put it, this was a major win not just because of the financial results, but because of the connection it created. Guests and teammates were having fun together, guessing flavors and sparking real conversations at the table. The takeaway for us is that a tasty drink will always matter, but what guests really want is to feel part of something. They want an experience they can engage with and share.
Our innovation and culinary teams are continuing to build on that insight, developing unexpected flavor combinations that surprise and delight. We have another one-of-a-kind margarita launching April 28, and it’s already shaping up to be one of our most talked-about beverages yet. Sometimes, creating something unforgettable starts with a little mystery.
About Sara Kear
At Condado Tacos, Sara oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization centered on loyalty and customer insights. Prior to Condado, Sara worked agency-side, where she began her career in performance media and built a strong foundation in driving measurable growth.
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