What Mi Cocina does

Mi Cocina is a Dallas-Fort Worth-based upscale Tex-Mex casual dining chain owned by M Crowd Restaurant Group, founded in 1991 by Bob McNutt, Ray Washburne, Dick Washburne, and Tex-Mex veteran Michael 'Mico' Rodriguez. The chain operates 24+ company-owned restaurants across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Tulsa, Oklahoma, with locations in premier real estate including Highland Park Village, Klyde Warren Park, The Star (Dallas Cowboys HQ), Southlake Town Square, and Grandscape. The core restaurant concept serves a made-from-scratch Tex-Mex menu (fajitas, enchiladas, brisket tacos, brunch) anchored by the registered-trademark Mambo Taxi frozen margarita, with upgraded bar sub-brands including Monkey Bar and Seisegundos at select sites.

The business operates three primary revenue streams: dine-in full-service restaurant operations, online ordering for takeout via order.micocina.com, and a full-service catering division covering delivery, full-service events, private rooftop events, and food truck rentals. The catering operation uses TripleSeat for event booking and applies tiered minimums ($500-$1,500 depending on day and service level) and supports events up to 600 guests. Ancillary revenue includes gift cards (Cardfoundry), branded merchandise, and community events such as the Mambo Miles 5K. Integration stack is minimal — POS, in-house online ordering, OpenTable reservations, Google Maps, and TripleSeat — with no public API, mobile app, or proprietary AI/ML infrastructure.

The target customer base is primarily individual consumers, families, and groups in upper-middle and affluent Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs, with secondary segments in corporate catering, weddings, and social events. Geographic expansion is underway, with the 2023 Tulsa entry marking the first out-of-Texas market and a 2026 Dallas Love Field airport location opening a new venue format. The company is privately held by M Crowd Restaurant Group with no external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Mi Cocina

Legal name

M Crowd Restaurant Group

Website

https://micocina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Mi Cocina is a privately held Tex-Mex casual dining chain founded in 1991, operating 24+ restaurants across Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa under M Crowd Restaurant Group, serving affluent suburban consumers with full-service dining, catering, and online ordering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC), Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH)

Keywords

• Tex-Mex restaurants
• Mexican cuisine dining
• Restaurant catering services
• Online food ordering
• Casual dining chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Revenue from dine-in customers at restaurant locations offering Tex-Mex cuisine, margaritas, and cocktails. Full-service table service model.
2. Online Ordering/Takeout: Online ordering platform for takeout and delivery orders through order.micocina.com
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering including delivery, full-service events, private dining, rooftop events, and food truck rentals. Minimum spend requirements: $500-$1000 for delivery, $1000-$1500 for full service depending on day of week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mi Cocina operates a Tex-Mex casual dining restaurant chain offering made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine, frozen margaritas, and related food and beverage items across 24+ company-owned locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa. The company also sells directly to consumers through an online ordering platform for takeout and provides a catering program offered in three formats: delivery, full-service, and food truck.

Product overview

Mi Cocina is a collection of neighborhood Tex-Mex restaurants offering authentic cuisine and signature margaritas across Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa. The core offering is the full-service restaurant experience featuring made-from-scratch Tex-Mex dishes complemented by an extensive margarita and tequila selection. The product portfolio includes the main restaurant dining (with location-specific variations such as rooftop bars at Monkey Bar locations), a comprehensive catering division offering delivery, full-service, private events, rooftop, and food truck options, online ordering for takeout, gift cards, merchandise, and community events like the Mambo Miles 5K. The signature Mambo Taxi frozen margarita is a notable differentiator that has gained national recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Monkey Bar: Signature tequila bars at Mi Cocina locations featuring rooftop views, including Monkey Bar on 9 and Monkey Bar Highland Park Village.
• Seisegundos

Products and services

• Mi Cocina Tex-Mex Dine-In Restaurant Service Casual dine-in restaurant service offering made-from-scratch Tex-Mex cuisine and frozen margaritas at 24+ company-owned locations across Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa; targeted at individual diners, families, and groups in those metros.
• Mi Cocina Online Ordering (Takeout) Direct online ordering service allowing customers to purchase Mi Cocina Tex-Mex food and beverages for takeout from local restaurant locations; targeted at individual consumers and households in DFW and Tulsa.
• Mi Cocina Catering Service Tex-Mex catering service offered in three formats: delivery, full-service, and food truck. Designed for corporate events, private parties, and group gatherings in the DFW and Tulsa markets.
• Mambo Taxi Margari Signature frozen margarita served at Mi Cocina locations in a branded take-home souvenir glass; functions as a flagship beverage product and brand-recognition asset. Available through dine-in, takeout, and catering channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accomodates groups of up to 600 guests for catering events
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)minorOthersCommunity partnership where Mi Cocina guests helped feed 6,000 people through the North Texas Food Bank
• Pro Players FoundationminorOthersPartnership with Pro Players Foundation for Summer Santa program
• Moss Haven Elementary SchoolminorOthersSchool partnership hosting Spirit Night events and raising funds for the school
• Lipscomb Elementary SchoolminorOthersCommunity partnership helping raise funds for the school through dining events
• M Crowd Restaurant GroupcoreOthersMi Cocina is owned and operated by M Crowd Restaurant Group, which is privately held. The parent company manages all Mi Cocina locations with plans for national expansion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Velvet Taco: Upscale, chef-inspired taco concept based in Dallas with multiple locations. Directly competes with Mi Cocina for the premium Tex-Mex customer in DFW, with a more fast-casual digital-first model.
• Pappasito's Cantina: Houston-based Tex-Mex chain with locations across Texas. Similar full-service, premium Tex-Mex positioning with strong brand loyalty and large-format restaurants.
• Torchy's Tacos: Austin-born fast-casual taco chain with 100+ locations across multiple states. Competes with Mi Cocina for Tex-Mex occasions with a faster, more casual experience and stronger digital ordering.
• Chuy's: Founded in Austin and now a multi-state Tex-Mex casual dining chain with roughly 80+ locations. Most direct comparable to Mi Cocina in cuisine, full-service dining model, and experiential positioning in Texas and beyond.
• El Fenix: Historic Dallas-based Tex-Mex chain founded in 1918 with multiple DFW locations. Closest local heritage competitor to Mi Cocina in the Dallas Tex-Mex market.
• Taco Diner: Upscale Mexican casual concept with multiple DFW locations. Competes directly with Mi Cocina for premium Tex-Mex dining in the same neighborhoods.

Broad incumbents

• On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina: Larger national Tex-Mex chain with broader footprint and value positioning. Competes for the same Tex-Mex casual dining occasions but at a more mainstream price point than Mi Cocina.

Emerging players

• Illegal Pete's: Colorado-based fast-casual Mexican chain with growing footprint. Comparable Tex-Mex-focused concept with strong brand identity and younger demographic appeal.

Regional players

• Freebirds World Burrito: Texas-based fast-casual Mexican chain founded in College Station. Competes with Mi Cocina for Tex-Mex occasions but at a faster, lower-price point.
• Meso Maya: Dallas-based upscale Mexican restaurant from M Crowd Restaurant Group's parent/network. Closely related as a sibling concept serving the same DFW premium Mexican dining market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/micocina_texmex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mi-cocina
• Facebookfacebook.com/MiCocinaTexmex
• Instagraminstagram.com/micocinatexmex
• Pinterestpinterest.com/micocinatexmex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mi Cocina