Six new flavor-forward margaritas launched at Condado Tacos in June. | All photos courtesy of Condado Tacos.
Fast-casual Condado Tacos—which prefers calling itself “next-gen casual”—has long had a bar program with a selection of conventional margaritas and beers to go with its Mexican-style menu and vibe.
But those same margaritas had been on the menu since 2014 when the bar, so to speak, was set a bit lower. Joe Kahn, founder and chief innovation officer of the Columbus, Ohio-based chain, felt that guests were ready for more flavor excitement and better-quality ingredients.
“I could see that people were looking for more adventurous flavors coming out of the pandemic,” said Kahn. “A few years ago, nobody knew what yuzu or dragon fruit was, but now it’s all over social media. So we thought now’s the perfect time to redevelop our margarita mix and upgrade our puree flavors.”
Branching out and paring down
Kahn started with the mix, tinkering with the ratios of acid and other ingredients. The resulting liquid mix tones down the acid a bit and is close to what Condado Tacos offered years ago, but this time, the ingredients are all natural. The combination of lemon and lime juices highlights the house-developed syrups and purees and doesn’t overpower the margaritas.
The fruit purees were overhauled next. “Before we had ordinary combos, like strawberry-banana, but I wanted to explore some wilder flavors and florals,” he said. His bucket list included about 20 puree flavors to start.
“Joe was like a mad scientist in the innovation lab,” added Sarah Kear, CMO of 52-location Condado Tacos. “We also brought back two flavors—prickly pear and blood orange—because guests told us loud and clear that they missed them when they were taken off the list.”
The prickly pear margarita returned to the menu, this time, elevated with lavender syrup.
At the same time, Kahn was working on revamping the simple syrups, developing them in house and creating flavors like habanero, ginger and lavender to add complexity and more customization to the margarita lineup.
The 20 puree flavor possibilities were eventually narrowed down to six that were test marketed in Michigan. Color was a deciding factor, too—the margaritas had stand out on Instagram and other social media platforms.
The winning flavor lineup includes Strawberry Yuzu, Dragon Fruit Habenero, Blood Orange Ginger, Prickly Pear Lavender, Mango Mint Jalapeño and the cinnamon-accented Pineapple Express. All can be ordered as full-flavor but spirit-free “mock-a-ritas” as well.
During the three-week Michigan test, guests ordered more drinks per visit and sales soared by 20%, with the new margarita flavors—and mock-a-ritas—contributing to the increase. That was a clear indication that the six finalists were ready for a systemwide launch. The new, improved margaritas rolled out June 10.
All the margaritas, including the Dragon Fruit Habanero pictured here, can be ordered as an alcohol-free mock-a-rita.
Condado Tacos also carries about 80 tequilas so customers can spike a drink with their favorite brand. “Tequila is the core of Condado, so we pared down some of our non-agave spirits,” said Kear. “Guests can still get a vodka and soda and other basic cocktails, but the drinks side of the menu was too big and confusing. Plus, we noticed people ordering more mocktails, so we made sure we offered those.”
Kahn tried alcohol-free tequila for the mocktails, but it didn’t have any benefit and just added to the cost. “We’re really proud of the mix we came up with, and it really shines through. When you make the mocktails, they taste exactly like the same margarita would taste but without the alcohol,” he said. The previous mix was too overpowering, he added, and all you tasted was straight mix versus fruit.
Room for more innovation
Condado offers the full-proof margaritas by the glass for $9.50 and the zero-proof versions for $7. But guests can also sample three flavors by ordering a Margarita Flight (starting at $14) or share a full pitcher with the table (ranging from $31.50 to $34.50.)
The margaritas that didn’t make the cut are not necessarily out for the count. “They can eventually make an appearance as seasonal LTOs,” said Kear. The 10 waiting in the wings include Blueberry Lemongrass Jalapeño, Pomegranate Sage, Melon Mint Jalapeño, Fire-Roasted Apple, Banana Jalapeño, Hibiscus Orange Ginger, Mango Lemonade, Hibiscus Dragon Fruit, Strawberry Rosemary Habanero and Peach Sage Habanero.
“We always let our guests dictate if they love something, and the six that won out were the favorites through our guest surveys, testing and team preferences,” said Kahn. “We tested a few different times with several different groups.”
The new menu format makes it easier for customers to pair drinks and food.
Another change tested in Michigan was collapsing the beverage and food menu back into one after previously offering separate menus for food and drink. “That was really to benefit the steps of service and guest experience,” said Kear. Now the menu starts with Condado’s dips, which are followed by the beverage selections; tacos, burritos and other food options are on the other side of the menu. “It improves the flow,” she added.
In the future, Kahn and the team are working on food pairing suggestions for the drinks, tequila tasting events and possibly, tequila subscriptions.
“We didn’t just launch new margaritas — we rewrote the playbook,” said Kahn. “This lineup doesn’t just elevate the bar program—it transforms it. Guests showed us they were ready for something wildly different, and these margaritas deliver exactly the kind of experience that makes the unusual your usual.”
