Sonora Grill Group

What Sonora Grill Group does

Sonora Grill Group is a privately held Mexican restaurant holding company founded in 2004 by Ricardo Añorve in Mexico City, operating a portfolio of nine distinct dining concepts led by premium steakhouses and extending into Asian street food and casual tacos. The core concept, Sonora Grill, operates 14 locations serving High Choice and Prime grade beef cuts cooked over charcoal grills in the Mexican asador tradition; surrounding brands include premium fine-dining (Sonora Prime), sophisticated steakhouse with six cooking methods and 50+ whiskey labels (Holsteins), contemporary gastronomy (Prime Steak Club), BBQ-focused Parrilla Urbana, Asian street food (Sr Godzilla), and casual taco concepts (Tacos Félix, Número 1 Taquería). The business makes money almost entirely through direct, in-restaurant food and beverage sales across its owned locations, supplemented by an event catering channel ('Cotizar un evento') and, more recently, franchise fees and a real estate partnership with FUNO. The group employs 1,001–5,000 staff and operates across nine Mexican states (Mexico City, State of Mexico, Puebla, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Sonora, Nuevo León, Quintana Roo, Yucatán) with planned expansion into San Diego, USA. Differentiating elements include IMPI's 2019 'Marca Famosa' trademark recognition, sustainable totoaba aquaculture from the Sea of Cortez, multiple Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence at Holsteins and Prime Steak Club, and 28 restaurants receiving TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice 2023 (with Sonora Prime Metepec earning 'Best of the Best'). The corporate chef (Luis Ochoa at Holsteins) and CEO (Añorve, recognized by Canirac and EY) form the senior leadership bench driving continued sub-brand launches and the US push.

Name

Sonora Grill Group

Legal name

Sonora Grill Group

Website

https://sggroup.com.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Steakhouse Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Steakhouse restaurants
• Premium dining
• Restaurant group
• Mexican cuisine
• Fine dining chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Juarez

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Sales: Core revenue from food and beverage sales across 14 restaurant locations in Mexico. Multiple restaurant brands serving premium steakhouse cuisine with full bar and wine service.
2. Franchise Fees: Expansion through franchising model mentioned in Milenio article - franchise fees from new restaurant openings across Mexico.
3. Event Catering Services: Private event and catering services offered through 'Cotizar un evento' (quote an event) channel for corporate events, celebrations, and private dining.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sonora Grill Group operates a multi-brand portfolio of steakhouses and dining restaurants across Mexico, offering premium beef cuts (High Choice, Prime, Wagyu Cross), charcoal-grilled Mexican cuisine, and curated dining experiences ranging from upscale steakhouses to casual tacos and Asian street food concepts. The group runs 14+ restaurant locations under brands such as Sonora Grill, Sonora Prime, Holsteins, Prime Steak Club, Parrilla Urbana, The Sonora Grill, Sr Godzilla, and Tacos Félix.

Product overview

Sonora Grill Group is a multi-brand Mexican restaurant company operating a portfolio of 9 distinct restaurant concepts across Mexico and expanding to the United States. The portfolio includes flagship steakhouse brand Sonora Grill with 14 locations, premium dining concepts (Sonora Prime, Prime Steak Club), the group's most sophisticated offering (Holsteins), BBQ-focused Parrilla Urbana, Asian Street Food (Sr Godzilla), and taco concepts (Tacos Félix, Número 1 Taquería). The group has grown from a single 5-table location in 2004 to over 40 restaurants across 9 Mexican states and the US.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sonora Grill: Leading steakhouse brand of the group, offering High Choice meat cuts and Mexican-inspired cuisine with charcoal grill experience.
• Sonora Prime
• The Sonora Grill
• Prime Steak Club
• Holsteins
• Parrilla Urbana
• Sr Godzilla
• Tacos Félix

Products and services

• Sonora Grill The group's flagship steakhouse brand with 14 restaurant locations across Mexico, offering High Choice meat cuts and a Mexican cuisine-inspired menu cooked on charcoal grills and braziers for family and friends' dining occasions.
• The Sonora Grill Modern Mexican cuisine dining experience located in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, designed to transform how Mexican cuisine is experienced internationally, featuring Premium Sonora beef, Prime and Wagyu Cross cuts with contemporary warm aesthetics.
• Sonora Prime Exclusive premium dining concept ideal for romantic dinners, family celebrations, and business meetings, featuring premium meat cuts, author mixology, DJ, and a sophisticated atmosphere with personalized service.
• Prime Steak Club Sophisticated contemporary gastronomy concept with exclusive culinary offerings, avant-garde architecture, curated music, and unique rituals, located in exclusive zones of Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende with terraces and views.
• Holsteins The group's most sophisticated concept and the first steakhouse in Mexico with 6 different meat cooking methods, featuring a whiskey room with over 50 world whiskey labels, innovative dish proposals, and an architecture emphasizing comfort and spaciousness.
• Parrilla Urbana BBQ-focused concept specializing in smoked flavors with ribs, hamburgers, and slow-cooked cuts. Marketed as #ReyesDelAhumado (Kings of Smoking), delivering deep, memorable smoke-driven flavors.
• Sr Godzilla Asian Street Food concept in Playa del Carmen featuring sushi, Mexican-Asian fusion cuisine, author mixology, live DJ, and an atmosphere inspired by Asian pop culture with Tokyo mood and Hong Kong vibe.
• Tacos Félix Taco concept in Colonia del Valle, Mexico City, offering creative taco combinations with identity and character in an unpretentious environment with a unique street-style mystique, featuring Trompo de Picaña Wagyu, Volcanes, Baguetortas, and smoked meats.
• Número 1 Taquería Taquería brand under the Sonora Grill Group portfolio, mentioned in the group's brand listings.
• Event Catering Services Corporate event catering and private dining service offered across the group's restaurant brands for celebrations, business events, and private functions, accessed via the 'Cotizar un evento' (Quote your event) channel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 of 40+ restaurants won TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2023 award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Wine SpectatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine Spectator is a prestigious American wine magazine that grants Restaurant Awards to restaurants with excellent wine programs. Holsteins and Prime Steak Club won the Award of Excellence, participating in Wine Spectator events in September 2023.
• TripAdvisorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTripAdvisor is a global travel platform that recognizes restaurants through its Travellers' Choice awards. 28 Sonora Grill Group restaurants won this award in 2023, with Sonora Prime Metepec receiving 'Best of the Best' status.
• Grupo ModelominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership mentioned in Robb Report where Sonora Grill Group supported medical personnel with more than 20,000 meals during the pandemic, in collaboration with Grupo Modelo.
• Michelin Guide / Michelin Chef Meets MonterreyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Luis Ochoa of Holsteins participated in Michelin Chef Meets Monterrey event alongside Michelin-starred chefs from Atalaya restaurant and other distinguished chefs, demonstrating international culinary recognition.
• 101 Best Steak Restaurants / The Rare TourflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal steakhouse collaboration through The Rare Tour event, where Prime Steak Club hosted a collaboration dinner with Chef Phil Campbell from Klaw (Miami) and house Chef Gabo López, recognized by the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants ranking.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Grupo CMR: Mexican restaurant group operating Italianni's, El Portón, La Casa de Toño, and other full-service concepts. Closely comparable Mexican multi-brand restaurant operator competing in similar price tiers and occasion segments, with comparable franchise and company-operated model.
• Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse: Premium Brazilian/Latin American steakhouse chain operating in the US, Mexico, and globally. Most directly comparable international steakhouse concept targeting similar premium diners with a differentiated meat-centric cooking technique, offering a benchmark for Sonora Grill's US expansion ambitions.
• Grupo Anderson's: Mexican restaurant group operating seafood, steakhouse, and casual concepts (Anderson's, El Tigre, La Casa de los Abuelos). Comparable Mexican multi-brand restaurant operator in the premium casual segment with similar brand portfolio strategy.
• The Capital Grille: Darden-owned premium American steakhouse chain with extensive wine program (Wine Spectator Grand Award winner). Comparable in upscale steakhouse positioning, dry-aged prime beef focus, and sommelier-driven wine experience — directly relevant benchmark for Holsteins and Prime Steak Club.
• Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group: Premium steakhouse operator with locations in the US and London. Comparable in dry-aged premium beef positioning, wine program focus, and aspirational fine-dining experience, providing a benchmark for international premium steakhouse unit economics.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Iconic US premium steakhouse chain with ~80+ locations and international presence. Comparable in premium positioning, meat-centric menu focus, and aspirational dining experience, offering a model for how a regional steakhouse brand can scale nationally and globally while preserving premium positioning.
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Long-established US premium steakhouse chain (Landry's portfolio). Comparable fine-dining steakhouse format with business/entertainment diner focus — a relevant benchmark for Sonora Prime and Prime Steak Club's positioning around business meals and special occasions.
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: Outback Steakhouse parent Bloomin' Brands' premium steakhouse concept with award-winning wine program. Comparable premium steakhouse positioning with sommelier-driven wine expertise (Wine Spectator recognition), relevant benchmark for Holsteins' dual steakhouse-plus-whiskey-room positioning.
• Alsea S.A.B. de C.V. Mexico's largest multi-brand restaurant operator (Vips, Domino's, Starbucks, Chili's, P.F. Chang's, Italianni's). Directly comparable multi-brand Mexican restaurant group with publicly disclosed financials, broader concept diversification, and significantly larger scale — the most relevant strategic benchmark for Sonora Grill Group's growth trajectory.

Emerging players

• Texas Roadhouse: Large US steakhouse chain with ~600+ locations and strong financial performance. Comparable in meat-centric concept focus and family/casual dining occasions, though positioned more affordably — relevant for understanding steakhouse chain economics at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thesonoragrill.playadelcarmen
• Xx.com/SonoraGGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/SonoraGrillGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonoragrill-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Sonora Grill Group