Mexico NZ
Mexico NZ is a New Zealand franchise restaurant chain operating 10 locations, serving Mexican street food, Frida's Margaritas, catering, and private events to over 10,000 customers weekly, with an active franchise expansion plan into six additional territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersAuckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Mexico NZ does
Mexico NZ, operated under the legal entity MFG Franchising Limited, is a New Zealand-based franchise restaurant chain specialising in Mexican and South American influenced street food, operating 10 locations across Auckland (Britomart, Ellerslie, Silverdale), Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch. The company's core offering centres on tacos, seasonal menus with locally-sourced ingredients, and a signature line of tequila-based cocktails branded as Frida's Margaritas, with over 3 million units sold historically and 10,000+ customers served weekly across the network. The technology layer is built around a digital ordering storefront, a third-party catering and gift card platform (vouchers.appropo.io), and the proprietary Love Mexico mobile loyalty application (iOS and Android), which issues "Mexico Dollars" at 5 cents per NZ$1 spent and provides birthday rewards to drive repeat visitation.
Mexico NZ generates revenue through four primary streams: dine-in restaurant sales (transactional per-cover pricing, with set offers including a $26 Lunch Favourites set and $40pp Bottomless Tacos on Tuesdays), private function and event services including Margarita Masterclasses ($50-$100pp), off-site catering ($25-$45pp), and franchise fees and royalties from franchise owners. Customer segments span individual diners, families (with a Kids Eat Free Sunday promotion), corporate and private event organisers, and hospitality entrepreneurs seeking franchise ownership in identified expansion territories including Auckland North Shore, Dunedin, Invercargill, Whangarei, Takanini, and Taupo. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer restaurant operations in company-owned and franchise locations with a channel-partner franchise model backed by what the brand describes as an award-winning business system with over 20 years of hospitality experience.
Mexico NZ's positioning is differentiated by an ESG-anchored supplier ecosystem, including partnerships with Hancocks (liquor), Lion NZ (carbon-zero certified beer), Service Foods (free-range protein), Paletas (bespoke in-house syrup production), and local hot sauce brand Apostle, alongside loyalty-driven customer engagement through the Love Mexico app and one of New Zealand's largest social media followings for a restaurant brand. The company is privately held, has no disclosed external funding, and operates with a small corporate headcount (1-10 listed), with the franchise structure distributing operational labour across franchisee-operated locations.
Mexico NZ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mexico NZ
- Legal name
- MFG Franchising Limited
- Website
- https://mexico.net.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mexico NZ is a New Zealand franchise restaurant chain operating 10 locations, serving Mexican street food, Frida's Margaritas, catering, and private events to over 10,000 customers weekly, with an active franchise expansion plan into six additional territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mexico NZ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Multi-Concept / Global QSR Chains (Mixed Menus) (THAFAAAO)
Keywords
Where Mexico NZ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland, Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
Mexico NZ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales at restaurant locations, including tacos, mains, desserts, and specialty margaritas. Menu changes seasonally 2-3 times per year.
- Function & Event Services: Private events including birthdays, hens parties, corporate functions with food, liquor, margarita masterclasses, and private spaces. Catering services also available for off-site events.
- Franchise Fees: Franchise ownership model generating revenue through franchisee partnerships. New franchise owners join the Mexico family with support and training provided.
- Loyalty Program & Gift Cards: Love Mexico loyalty program with Mexico Dollars earned on purchases; digital gift cards sold through third-party platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottomless Tacos - $40 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lunch Favourites - $26 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Margarita Masterclass - $50 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering - $25 to $45 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Eat Free on Sundays |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels4 records
Mexico NZ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mexico NZ operates a chain of 10 Mexican and South American influenced street food restaurants across New Zealand, serving tacos, mains, desserts, and signature Frida's Margaritas. Beyond dine-in and takeaway, the business extends to private functions and event hosting, off-site catering, Margarita Masterclasses, a mobile loyalty program (Love Mexico App), and a franchise ownership model for hospitality entrepreneurs.
Product overview
Mexico NZ is a multi-location Mexican restaurant chain operating as a unified restaurant brand with 10 locations across New Zealand (Britomart, Ellerslie, Hamilton, Silverdale, Wellington, Christchurch, and expansion locations). The core offering centers on Mexican and South American influenced street food including tacos and Frida's Margaritas. The business extends through a mobile loyalty program (Love Mexico App), catering services, private event hosting (Functions), Margarita Masterclasses, and franchise opportunities. Promotional offerings include Bottomless Tacos on Tuesdays, $26 Lunch Favourites, and Kids Eat Free on Sundays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mexico Restaurant Mexican and South American influenced street food restaurant chain with locations across New Zealand, serving tacos, mains, desserts, and signature Frida's Margaritas for dine-in and takeaway customers.
- Love Mexico Loyalty App Mobile loyalty application for individual diners that enables earning Mexico Dollars (5 cents per $1 spent), birthday rewards, exclusive offers, and redemption of perks such as a second Frida's Margarita on the house.
- Mexico Franchise Opportunity Franchise offering for hospitality entrepreneurs to own and operate a Mexico restaurant location in New Zealand, including brand, operational systems, training, and support.
- Mexico Catering Off-site catering service for corporate and private events with pricing from $25 to $45 per person, accommodating vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and other dietary requirements.
- Mexico Functions & Events Private event hosting service for birthdays, hens parties, corporate functions, and celebrations, including food, liquor, margarita masterclasses, and dedicated private spaces.
- Margarita Masterclass 90-minute group experience where participants learn to make three margaritas and eat from the Mexico kitchen, priced at $50 per person or $100 per person with the special menu.
- Bottomless Tacos Weekly Tuesday all-you-can-eat taco experience priced at $40 per person for 90 minutes, with a required drink purchase and maximum of two tacos per person at a time.
- $26 Lunch Favourites Daily lunch bundle priced at $26 including any taco, fried chicken or fried cauliflower, guacamole and totopos, and a Mexico Soda, with optional upgrades to house beer/wine or a Frida's Margarita.
- Mexico Gift Cards Digital gift cards purchasable for use at Mexico restaurant locations across New Zealand, sold through a third-party voucher platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10,000 customers served weekly across New Zealand locations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mexico NZ
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mexico NZ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Mexico NZ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HancockscoreFamily business liquor partner bringing Heradurra, Cointreau & el Jimador. Committed to nurturing people, planet, partners and community for future generations with 15 year commitment to sustainable designed office and work spaces.
- Heradurra TequilacoreTequila brand receiving 2015 Environmental Excellence Award from Mexico's Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection. Less than 1% solid waste to landfill, purpose-built wastewater treatment plants exceeding water discharge standards.
- Green GorillaminorSustainable waste solutions partner for Hancocks, the liquor supplier.
- ApostleminorHot sauce collaboration partner. Mexico teamed up with Apostle to bring extra fuego (hot sauce) to Mexico favourites. Apostle is described as 'amigos' and offers the very best Hot Sauce Aotearoa.
- Service FoodscoreFood supplier working with local growers and suppliers to provide fresh ingredients for Mexico dishes. All protein is Free Range and Free Farmed.
- Lion (Lion New Zealand)coreBeer supplier becoming Australia's first large-scale carbon neutral brewer. Committed to brewing with 100% renewable energy by 2025. First large-scale beverage company in NZ to be Toitū carbonzero certified.
- ToitūminorNZ's leading carbon certification provider. Through partnership with Toitū, Lion NZ became the country's first large-scale beverage company to be carbonzero certified.
- PaletascoreCreates Mexico's Frida's Margarita and Soda Syrups. Produces bespoke syrup and mixes in restaurants to avoid individual drink packaging. Uses NZ-sourced ingredients including Chelsea Sugar, local fruit. Focus on palm-free, small batch production with near 100% yield and composting of food waste.
- Chelsea SugarminorNZ-based sugar supplier providing ingredients for Paletas who create Mexico's margarita and soda syrups.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mexico NZ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Apostle Hot Sauce: NZ-based hot sauce brand with a documented collaboration partnership with Mexico NZ. Comparable as an adjacent/ecosystem partner tied to the Mexico NZ value proposition rather than a direct competitor.
- Hospitality New Zealand: NZ industry association for hospitality operators. Not a direct competitor but a relevant industry-ecosystem reference for benchmarking and peer-network context for Mexico NZ.
Broad incumbents
- Taco Bell: Global QSR Mexican chain. Comparable to Mexico NZ on Mexican category and value/menu-engineering approach (e.g., promotional pricing), though QSR-style and part of Yum! Brands.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: Global fast-casual Mexican chain with thousands of locations. Comparable to Mexico NZ on core product (made-to-order tacos/burritos) and casual dining format, though vastly larger scale and not franchised.
- Restaurant Brands NZ: NZ-listed operator of multiple QSR/casual dining brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr., Starbucks). Comparable to Mexico NZ on multi-location NZ restaurant operations and franchise management, though operates different cuisines.
Direct peers
- Mad Mex: Australia's largest Mexican restaurant chain operating ~70+ locations. Directly comparable to Mexico NZ on category (Mexican casual dining), menu positioning (tacos, burritos, margaritas), and franchise/storefront operating model.
- Guzman y Gomez: Australian-headquartered Mexican fast-casual chain with locations across Australia and selective international expansion. Highly comparable to Mexico NZ in menu (tacos, burritos, margaritas), fast-casual service model, franchise-led growth, and loyalty app-driven repeat visitation.
- Zambrero: Australian-founded Mexican restaurant franchise operating in Australia, New Zealand, and other markets. Comparable to Mexico NZ on Mexican fast-casual positioning, franchise-led expansion model, and presence in the NZ market.
Emerging players
- Tortilla: UK-based fast-casual Mexican chain with corporate and franchised locations. Comparable to Mexico NZ in category and service model, though operating in a different geography and at a smaller unit count.
Regional players
- Mexicali Fresh: New Zealand-based Mexican casual dining chain. Comparable to Mexico NZ on Mexican category and NZ-only geographic focus, though typically positioned at lower price points.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mexico NZ social profiles
Digital presenceMexico NZ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mexico NZ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Mexico NZ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mexico NZ M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mexico NZ
What does Mexico NZ do?
Mexico NZ operates a chain of 10 Mexican and South American influenced street food restaurants across New Zealand, serving tacos, mains, desserts, and signature Frida's Margaritas. Beyond dine-in and takeaway, the business extends to private functions and event hosting, off-site catering, Margarita Masterclasses, a mobile loyalty program (Love Mexico App), and a franchise ownership model for hospitality entrepreneurs.
Is Mexico NZ a public or private company?
Mexico NZ is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mexico NZ founded?
Mexico NZ was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mexico NZ based?
Mexico NZ is headquartered in Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Mexico NZ make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are function & Event Services, franchise Fees and loyalty Program & Gift Cards.
Who are Mexico NZ's main competitors?
Others on record are Apostle Hot Sauce and Hospitality New Zealand. Broad incumbents are Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Restaurant Brands NZ. Direct peers are Mad Mex, Guzman y Gomez and Zambrero. Tortilla is listed as an emerging player. Mexicali Fresh is listed as a regional player.
Does Mexico NZ have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mexico NZ.
What industry is Mexico NZ in?
Mexico NZ's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAC, Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.